


Dark Divide

by bxrn_vvitch



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BDSM, Blood Kink, Blow Jobs, Bondage, Bottom Uchiha Itachi, Choking, Collars, Cousin Incest, Dark, Dehumanization, Dirty Talk, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content, Hemophobia, Kidnapping, Kink Discovery, M/M, Manipulation, Master/Pet, Master/Slave, NSFW, Nipple Play, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Overprotective, Ownership, Possessive Behavior, Power Dynamics, Praise Kink, Sexual Tension, Slash, Submission, Torture, Underage Sex, degradation kink, fugaku is kinda an asshole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:22:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 39,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24669832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bxrn_vvitch/pseuds/bxrn_vvitch
Summary: "The seduction of ones mind can take time, like an artist with a brush creating not art but passion filled lust"Shisui was his everything. He was Itachi's entire world. He wanted to live for him, and he was willing to die for him just the same.
Relationships: Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui
Comments: 25
Kudos: 147





	1. Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This story is going to be really messed up. There will be a lot of potentially triggering content. Read at your own discrestion.

Itachi stood perfectly still, the breeze softly blowing through his hair. Seven shinobi lie dead before him. His mission had just took a turn for the worse. Him and his team were ambushed by enemy shinobi and he was the only one left standing. His eyes blazed red with the sharingan as he slowly glanced around him. He couldn't hear anyone else. Which was good. It meant he was safe. For now. 

He sheathed his sword and took his mask off, looking down at himself. He was covered in blood. On his clothes, on his skin, on his mask, was blood. He was disgusted. He stared at the bodies surrounding him, all covered in blood as well. The color was drained from all of their faces and he just knew that if he were to touch them, they'd be cold. 

He sunk down to the ground, holding his stomach. His hand landed in something wet. 

He slowly pulled his hand back and glanced at it. Blood. Sticky, warm, red blood. He felt sick, like everything he'd eaten that day was about to come up. 

He shut his eyes tight and tried to breathe. All he needed to do was breathe and calm himself down. He couldn't let a little bit of blood affect him like this. He was the captain of the ANBU black ops, for fucks sake. He shouldn't be bothered by blood like this. 

He knew he needed to hurry and get back to the village before more enemy ninja showed up, but he couldn't get himself to move. His body wouldn't listen to him. 

He panted softly, digging his nails into his palm. He couldn't stay here. It wasn't safe. He was in a foreign land, surrounded by enemies. He had to run.

After a few moments, he forced himself to his feet. His stomach was churning but he forced himself to move. He left the clearing in the woods, and all of the bodies and blood behind. 

* * *

Itachi had reached the village and reported what had happened. How he managed to keep himself composed through the converstion was beyond him. He wanted to vomit the entire time, but he knew he couldn't let anyone see how he felt. It was shinobi code. He could never, ever show it. 

He was on his way back to his house now. It was night, the moon was full. The moonlight somewhat relaxed him and he was thankful. 

He was trying to get home as quickly as possible. He needed to change his clothes. He hasn't looked down at himself again and he's afraid to. He just needs to get home and change. 

"Itachi." Someone called. "Wait up."

He spun around quickly, his eyes resting on his older cousin. "Shisui."

He caught up to Itachi, walking beside him. "On your way back from a misson?"

Itachi hesitated before answering. "Uh yeah. Something like that."

"You seem shaken." He stated. "Why?"

"It's nothing, Shisui. I'm just- I'm just tired."

He just nodded. "I can imagine. You have a lot of your plate for someone your age. How old are you again?"

Itachi sighed. "Thirteen."

"You're only thirteen and you have more things going on than most people twice your age. I can see why you'd be tired. You should get some sleep." He spoke. "Also, not sure if you're aware, but uh, you're covered in blood. You should change."

"Hm."

"Well, I'll be going now. I gotta get home. I'll catch you later, 'Tachi."

He took off in a different direction, leaving my to myself. 

Itachi always admired Shisui. He's the only Uchiha who's actually stronger than him. And he's always so cool and calm and composed. Itachi was sure that Shisui never feels like he does. He can almost guarantee he's not afraid of blood like Itachi is. 

Itachi sighed and headed home. He needed to get out of these clothes before he threw up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> most chapters will probably be longer than this. this is kinda like just an intro.


	2. Crown of Thorns

Itachi sat in the kitchen, watching as Mother, Father and Sasuke all rushed about, trying to get ready to leave for the day. Sasuke was eating breakfast, trying to get some of his homework done last minute.

"I'm leaving!" Father called.

"Bye Dad!" Sasuke called.

Itachi stood up and stretched his arms above his head. "Tell Father I won't be home for a few days. I have to meet up with my new squad tonight and leave for a mission."

Itachi knew his father didn't like the fact that he was never home, so Itachi refrained from saying anything around him. He just opted to have his mother relay the message to avoid any confrontation with his father.

"Alright. I'll see you when you get back."

He hugged her.

"Nii-san, you promised to help me train tonight!"

Itachi sighed. "I know, Sasuke. I'm sorry. This just came up. I'll spend a whole day helping you train when I get back, okay?"

"Fine." Sasuke whined.

He poked Sasuke's forehead and left the house.

Itachi was walking down the road on his way to get briefed for his next mission.

He was so tired. He hasn't been able to sleep much. He hasn't even had time. Itachi has been going on so many missions and he's had so many meetings and he's spent entire nights awake spying and whatnot. And when he actually does get time to sleep, nightmares keep him awake constantly.

He made his way up the steps to where he needed to go for his meeting. He pushed the door open and entered the room. He looked around, seeing that there was no one else there yet.

Itachi leaned against the wall, wondering what kind of mission he'd get this time, and who will be on his team.

He just hope there wouldn't be any blood this time around. He doesn't want to see all of the blood again.

Itachi glanced up as the door opened. He raised his eyebrows when Shisui entered the room. He stared at Itachi and waved.

"Hi." Itachi spoke.

Great. Of course he get put on a team with Shisui. Now he can just show Itachi up. He's stronger than Itachi and he's just gonna show off.

"You seem better than when I last saw you." Shisui spoke.

"Yeah."

"This means you and me are in the same squad for this mission."

"Mhm."

"This is gonna be fun."

"I'm sure it will be." Itachi mumbled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Shisui watched Itachi. He was staring off out the window. He seemed lost in thought. Shisui wondered what he was thinking about.

He stared at Itachi, taking in how he looked. His long dark hair, how it contrasted against his pale skin, the way it draped over his shoulder, the way his jaw was clenched. Shisui loved the way his eyes glittered when the light hit them. His eyes trailed down Itachi's body, staring at his pale, unmarked arms that he'd just love to run his fingers down; his throat that he wished he could wrap his hands around; and his slender hips that were just begging to have the imprints of Shisui's nails permanently scarred onto them.

Shisui licked his lips. Itachi was mature for his age. He may only be thirteen, but he acts like he's closer to Shisui's age.

Itachi could feel eyes on him, so he glanced over at Shisui. Shisui didn't look away. Itachi narrowed his eyes. "What?"

He smirked, shaking his head. "Nothing."

Shisui knows it's wrong to think about his young cousin in such a way, but he can't help it.

Itach opened his mouth to respond, but the door opened before he could. Someone came into the room. Itachi wasn't sure who it is because they had a mask on.

"Alright. This mission is a simple one. Get in, get the documents, get out. It's only going to be the two of you because this Lord is already onto us. We need to keep it as low profile as possible." He said. "Itachi, you're the star of show. You're young and can pass as a girl. You have to seduce the Feudal Lord, get him away from his office long enough for Shisui to get in, grab the documents we need, and get out. When he's done, he'll give you a signal. You musn't kill anyone, but do what you have to in order to get out of there."

Itachi struggled to not roll his eyes. He just nodded. 

"No one can find out who you are or where you are from." 

Shisui glanced at Itachi. He was kind of excited about the fact that he'd get to see Itachi dressed as a girl. He was already attractive. He knew that if this mission went well, him and Itachi would be on the same team until one of them died. 

Him and Itachi were never really close, but he wanted them to be. He decided that that's what he had to do. As long as Itachi was on his team, he'd be able to work on that. He knew just how to play. Itachi was strong, mentally and physically, and it was clear that Itachi wasn't too eager to be working alone with Shisui. Shisui knew it would be hard to get Itachi to open up to him, but he had a feeling that he'd be able to use Itachi's weaknesses against him. Itachi thought he was amazing at hiding everything. And he was, but Shisui could see past all of Itachi's walls and barriers, he could see all the things that bothered Itachi, and how stressed and worn out he was. And he knew just how to tear those walls down. 

This truly was going to be fun.

* * *

"You're less talkative than usual." Shisui said.

"I'm fine."

Shisui sighed. "You don't like me that much, do you, 'Tachi?"

They were walking down the road, on their way to the village for their mission. It wasn't far, about a days walk.

Itachi thought about Shisui's words before responding. It's not that he didn't like Shisui, because he did. But he didn't like the fact that there was someone stronger than him. He didn't like that the person who was stronger than him was a member of his own clan. 

"I like you." Itachi muttered. 

Shisui sped up a little so that he was walking beside Itachi. "Then what is it? You don't seem too happy."

"I'm fine."

Shisui turned around so that he was walking backwards, facing Itachi. "I know what it is..."

Itachi raised his eyebrows, silently asking Shisui to tell him what he thought it was.

"You don't like that I'm stronger than you. It pisses you off. You like being the one in control, the powerful one."

Itachi's heart skipped a beat. How did he know that? There's no way he could have figured that out. 

Shisui could tell that he'd gotten under the younger Uchiha's skin. Which was exactly what he wanted. 

"No. That's not it at all." Itachi said through clenced teeth. "I expect you to be stronger than me. You've got 6 years on me after all, Shisui. You have more experience. I'd be concered if you weren't stronger than me."

"Mhm." Shisui responded, smirking. 

Itachi let out an audible sigh. This was going to be a long few days.


	3. Friction

Itachi stared at himself in the mirror, making sure he looked as close to a female as he could get. He was wearing a black kimono that had small flower branches running up one side. He had put on a small amount of makeup to help accentuate his eyes and make him look more feminine. This isn't the first time he's been on a mission like this. It's common for him to have to dress up like a pretty girl and distract some creepy old man. He just hates when they touch him. They don't always get the chance to, but Itachi hates it when they do. 

He could feel Shisui's eyes on him as he got himself ready. He didn't know why Shisui was always staring at him, but it was quite annoying. He wasn't sure why his cousin couldn't just find something else to stare at. 

Itachi turned around to grab something off the bed. He glanced at Shisui who still wouldn't take his eyes off of him. "What?" Itachi snapped, glaring at the older one. 

"Nothing." He spoke, that same stupid smirk plastered on his face. 

"Well you keep staring at me."

"You look good. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you really were a girl."

"Great." 

Itachi didn't want to look like a girl. He hated these kinds of missions. 

Shisui stood and walked over to Itachi. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Hn." Itachi turned away from him and back to the mirror. 

He could see in the mirror as Shisui turned too. Shisui looked over Itachi through the mirror. "Turn around." 

Itachi hesitantly complied, glaring at shisui. He reached over and pulled the hair tie out of Itachi's hair. 

"There. Better."

"I wanted my hair tied back."

"You look better with it down." 

Itachi sighed. "Whatever. Are you ready?"

Shisui nodded and grabbed his things. 

They started heading to the Lord's property. There was a party going on tonight and all kinds of people would be there, so Itachi and Shisui wouldn't stand out too much. 

"Remember, when I give you the signal, get out of there as soon as you can."

"I know." Itachi responded. "But what's the signal?"

Shisui sighed, taking a moment to come up with a plan. "Oh. When I get the stuff I need, I'll tap on the window. It should take his attention away from you long enough to get out of there."

"What makes you think I'll be near a window or that I'll even be able to hear it?"

"Just convince him to bring you up to the bedroom or something."

Itachi nodded. He really, really hated this stuff with a passion. 

They reached the doors and parted ways. Shisui went off somewhere and Itachi entered the building. He walked around the room slowly, greeting and smiling at the people he passed. He figured it should be easy to spot the lord, and he was right. The man was sitting at a table not too far away. 

Itachi took a deep breath and walked over to him. He sat next to him and watched him. He looked disgusting. Itachi did not want this man's hands on him. 

"I don't think I've seen you around before." He said to me, moving closer.

I smiled. "Parties aren't really my thing, but I wanted to have some fun."

"What kind of fun were you looking to have, sweetheart?"

Itachi supressed a shudder. He looked at the man with hooded eyes. "The kind that happens in the dark."

He leaned in closer. I could feel his breath on my skin. I felt disgusted. He placed a hand on my thigh, sliding it up and down. "Why don't you follow me?"

He stood up and so did Itachi. Itachi followed the man into a hallway and up a flight of stairs. Itachi really hoped this wouldn't go too far. He didn't want it to. 

He led Itachi into a bedroom, shutting and locking the door. Before Itachi could say anything, the man shoved him up against the wall, forcing his lips on Itachi's.

Itachi shuddered and supressed his urge to vomit as the man shoved his tongue into his mouth. He felt disgusting. It took everything in him not to push the man away and stab him. 

"You're so beautiful, baby." He whispered into Itachi's ear, going to work on his neck. 

His tongue lapped at Itachi's skin. It felt slimy and heavy and Itachi wanted more than anything for it to end. 

It wasn't long before the man maneuvered him over to the bed and pushed him back onto it. 

Itachi prayed that Shisui would hurry the hell up. 

The man pushed the end of Itachi's kimono up, massaging Itachi's bare thighs with his large, heavy hands. He untied the kimono with one hand, running his fingers along Itachi's ribcage, digging his nails in. 

He leaned down, kissing Itachi again. 

How the man hadn't picked up on the fact that he wasn't a woman yet is beyond him. With the kimono open and his body exposed, you could see that he clearly was a guy. He seems a little drunk though, so Itachi figured that's why.

He wondered where the hell Shisui was. What was taking him so long?

Itachi's body shook when the man pressed his lips to Itachi's stomach. He kissed and licked Itachi's skin, leaving wet streaks all over itachi's body. 

When they were done here, he was going back to the inn and taking a burning hot shower. 

It felt like years before Itachi heard the bang onthe window and he let out a sigh of relief.

The man looked up. "What was that?"

"It sounded like something hit the window." Itachi mumbled. 

He gripped Itachi's thigh. "I'll be right back."

He stood and walked over to the window, looking out. Itachi stood up and looked arounf the room quickly. He grabbed a decorative vase off the table and snuck up behind the man. He took a deep breath and smashed it over the man's head. Itachi watched the man fall on the floor. 

He jumped when suddenly Shisui was at the window, pulling it open from outside. He swung himself inside and looked at Itachi. "You okay?"

He nodded.

Shisui took in Itachi's appearance. His lips were swollen from being kissed and his thighs were red from being squeezed. His hair was messy and knotted. He looked sexy like this. The way his kimono was open and hanging off his shoulders, showing off his slender body. 

Shisui tore his eyes away from the boy before his appearance really started to affect him. 

"We should get out of here before someone comes looking for him." Shisui said. 

"Mm." Itachi fixed his clothing and followed Shisui out the window. 

Itachi didn't speak the whole way back to the inn. He felt sick and disgusted. He wanted to take a shower and then he'd be okay. 

As soon as they got inside, Itachi grabbed new clothing from his bag and headed towards the bathroom. He wouldn't speak and seemed more tense than usual. Shisui wondered what exactly was wrong.

"Itachi." He called.

Itachi turned around and looked at him. 

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem okay."

"I'm fine, Shisui."

Shisui sighed. "You know, you can talk about how you feel. You're obviously feeling something..."

"There's nothing wrong."

Shisui grasped Itachi's arm. "I'm trying to help you."

Itachi immediately pulled his hand away and shoved Shisui back, his eyes wide. "Don't touch me." 

Shisui didn't say anything and Itachi rushed off into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. 


	4. Blank

"You wanna grab something to eat?"

Itachi shook his head. "I can't. I promised Sasuke I'd spend the day helping him train."

"Do you need some help with that?" He asked.

Itachi sighed. He decided that maybe he should be a little nicer to Shisui. He didn't do anything wrong. Itachi has just been stressed out and has been taking it out on Shisui. "If you want."

The two headed towards Itachi's house.

"You seem to be in a better mood." Shisui noted.

Itachi nodded. "Yeah...I'm uh, I'm sorry I was so short with you. I'm just a little overworked and tired is all."

"It's fine. I get it." Shisui told him. "You know it's okay to talk about how you feel sometimes. It helps relieve some of the stress. You can't just bottle it up. Especially at your age."

"I'm fine, Shisui. Don't worry."

He put his hands up in defeat. "Alright. Just know that I'll listen whenever you wish to talk."

The approached the door to Itachi's house. The door was wide open and Itachi could hear multiple voices coming from within, along with what sounded like crying.

Itachi glanced at Shisui. Shisui nodded and pulled a kunai from the pouch on his thigh. Itachi drew his sword and they slowly entered the house.

They hid behind a wall, both activating their sharingan.

"Sounds like there's four or five." Shisui whispered.

They readied their weapons and rounded the corner, expecting a fight, but stopped when they came face to face with three police officers and Itachi's parents.

"Itachi no!" His mother called, her eyes red and puffy.

"What's going on?" Itachi said, looking around at everyone. "Why are there police here? Why are you crying?"

Shisui put his knife away.

"It's Sasuke..." She began. She couldn't even finish her sentence.

Itachi's eyes went wide. "What? What happened?"

"He's missing. He didn't come home from school yesterday." His father finished, hugging his mother.

Itachi dropped his sword and just stared at them. He looked between his mother and father, and then at the three officers, and then at Shisui.

Itachi started hyperventilating. Sasuke was missing? How did that even happen? How did they let this happen? Itachi held his stomach. He thought he was going to be sick.

He's already dealing with so much. He's got so much going on. And now his little brother is missing.

Before anyone could say anything else, Itachi was gone. He rushed out of the house.

"Itachi!" His father called.

Shisui was just as shocked as Itachi. This kind of stuff just didn't happen to the Uchiha's. No one dared touch an Uchiha if they valued their life.

"I'll go after him." Shisui whispered.

* * *

Shisui finally found Itachi hours later. It was dark now. Itachi was sitting next to a small stream in the woods. He sensed Shisui's presence but didn't move or acknowledge him.

"Itachi..." He spoke, sitting down next to him. "Are you okay?"

He looked at Itachi. His knuckles were bloody and cut up, like he'd just spent the last six hours punching a brick wall. His eyes were glassy, tears threatening to spill. He was shaking like a leaf, and Shisui wasn't even sure he could stand.

"Stop asking me that." He whispered. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Because I know how much your hurting. I can see it in your eyes, your stance, the way your shaking...It's okay to feel things, Itachi."

"I'm not hurting in any way. I'm sure Sasuke is fine."

Shisui got up and moved in front of Itachi. He gently gripped Itachi's chin. "Look at me."

Itachi slowly turned his gaze to Shisui. "You don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to cry and to be scared. It's okay to talk about it."

Itachi stared into Shisui's eyes. He didn't do anything right away, but after a few minutes, the tears slowly began to fall.

Shisui pulled Itachi in for a hug and held him there until the tears stopped. "It's okay. Just let it out. You can tell me what's wrong. Tell me everything."

"I-I'm just so fucking _tired_." Itachi breathed. "I always have a mission or a meeting or something. I never get time to sleep, and when I do, I have th-these awful fucking nightmares and they don't go away. And even after last night, and the way that went, I thought today would be okay. It felt like a good day. And then I-I come home and...and Sasuke's missing. And I don't know what to do. I know they all expect me to just deal with it and find Sasuke, but I'm so tired."

He was sobbing into Shisui's shoulder. Itachi's had finally hit his breaking point.

"I'm so tired." He repeated. "It's not fair."

"I know. It's not fair at all." Shisui said. "You're so young, and yet they give you so many burdens to carry. They expect you to just grin and bear it all without feeling a thing. And you don't deserve that. Let me tell you, when I was thirteen, my biggest concern was hanging out with my friends and getting some training it here and there. But they expect you to kill and they throw you into these sexual situations. You've watched your entire squad die three times and they expect you to just be okay. It's perfectly understandable that you feel this way."

"I was always taught to never show my emotions..."

"Fuck that. Doesn't listen to that. When you bottle up your emotions, this is what happens. You just break. One thing sends you over the edge and everything just comes pouring out."

He hugged Itachi and ran his fingers through his hair.

"What are your nightmares about?"

Itachi shuddered slightly. "All the bad things I've seen. And done."

"Like what?"

"The people I've killed. And the times I've watched my entire squad get slaughtered. And the gross old men who've touched me. And the things I see when I have to spy on people." He whispered, rubbing at his eyes.

Shisui took Itachi's hand, running his thumb over his knuckles. "What happened here?"

"I got mad and hit a wall."

Shisui sighed. "Why don't you stay at my house tonight. We can try to figure out a way to help you sleep and then we can start looking for Sasuke in the morning. Okay?"

Itachi nodded. He started to get up but Shisui stopped him. He picked Itachi up and carried him in the direction of his house.

He knew Itachi was bad but he didn't expect him to be this bad.


	5. Knife Prty

Shisui sat Itachi down on his bed. He ran his fingers through Itachi's hair before he reached down to help him get his shirt off.

Itachi was too tired to be stubborn about it, so he just lifted his arms so Shisui could slip the garment off. Itachi rested his head on Shisui's stomach. "'m tired."

"I know. As soon as you get your clothes off, you can go to sleep."

"What about the nightmares?"

"I have something that should help with them. I'll get it once you lay down." Shisui spoke. "Once you fall asleep though, I'm gonna run to your house and just let your parents know that you're staying with me tonight."

Itachi nodded. "Please don't tell them I cried."

"I won't."

He helped Itachi out of his pants and Itachi almost immediately fell back. Shisui stared at the boy's body. Without thinking, he ran his fingertips along Itachi's stomach ever so lightly. He trailed his fingers up Itachi's chest and neck, to his face. He pushed his dark hair out of his face and reached to grab the blanket. He covered Itachi up. "I'll be right back."

Shisui left the bedroom and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed the bottle of Sake off the counter and poured a small amount into a glass. Shisui figured it should be enough to knock Itachi out for the night. He knows he shouldn't give a thirteen year old alcohol but desperate times call for desperate measures.

He took a sip from the bottle before heading back to the bedroom. Itachi sat up when he came in. Shisui handed him the glass.

"I know it doesn't taste the greatest but it'll help you sleep."

Itachi nodded and drank it, making a face at the bitter flavor.

He laid back down, yawning a little.

Shisui turned the light off and was about to leave the room when he heard Itachi's voice.

"Stay." He whispered.

Shisui turned back around and walked over to Itachi.

"Alright. I'll stay." He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hands over the smaller boy's hair.

"Lay with me...." Itachi breathed. "Please. I-I'm scared."

Shisui nodded. He pulled his own shirt off before getting in the bed behind Itachi. He pulled Itachi close to him. "Why are you scared?"

"'m worried about Sasuke."

"We'll find him, 'Tachi. I promise."

Itachi nodded, slowly drifting off.

It was nice, having Itachi's body pressed against his like this. If this were happening under different circumstances, Shisui knew he'd be hard by now. His skin was so smooth and warm. Shisui draped his arm over Itachi's stomach, running his fingers along the soft skin. It felt so good to touch. It was wrong but it felt so very right.

It wasn't long after that Shisui followed Itachi to sleep, his promise to go see Itachi's parents long forgotten.

* * *

Shisui laid there, watching Itachi sleep. As much as he wanted to let the boy sleep, he'd have to wake him up soon. It was almost noon. Itachi looked so peaceful when he slept. 

Shisui sat up slightly, leaning over Itachi. He shook him lightly, watching as he began to stir. 

His eyes fluttered open and he stretched his arms above his head. 

"Hi." Itachi groaned, looking up at Shisui.

Shisui smiled at him. "Good morning."

Itachi took a moment to look at Shisui. He liked Shisui's hair, the way it was messed up from sleeping, and he liked how he could see all of Shisui's muscles, across his chest and stomach, and on his arms. Shisui was truly very attractive. He honestly wouldn't mind it if Shisui touched him. He knew it was wrong to think of Shisui like that. Especially because Shisui was so much older and because he was a guy, and his cousin. Itachi knew he was supposed to like girls because his parents wanted him to get married and he was the heir to the clan, but he like boys. He figured it out a few months earlier. 

"Did you have any nightmares?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, surprisingly. Thank you."

Shisui smiled.

"And thank you for being there yesterday and listening to me and letting me cry and not judging me for it. I think I needed that. I feel a lot better. "

"Of course, 'Tachi. I'll always be there. Whenever you need to talk, I'm here. I'll listen and I'll never judge you."

Itachi leaned over and hugged Shisui. Shisui hugged him back, reveling in the feeling of Itachi's skin pressed up against his own. 

Itachi looked at Shisui, taking in his features. His dark eyes, his curly hair, his full lips. Without thinking, Itachi moved up slightly and pressed his lips to Shisui's. 

Shisui tensed but after a second he began to kiss back. Itachi opened his mouth and let Shisui take control of the kiss. He tangled his fingers in the older one's hair, whimpering softly.

When Shisui pulled away, Itachi just stared at him for a moment. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Shisui. I-I don't kn-"

Shisui cut him off with another kiss. 

"Don't apologize. I didn't mind."

"Huh?" Itachi deadpanned. "Y-you didn't mind? I kissed you. I'm your cousin. And I'm a boy..."

Shisui laughed. "Of course I don't mind. Why would I mind? I don't care that you're a boy or that you're my cousin."

"I-I thought you'd get mad because I'm supposed to like girls and because I'm related to you."

"Let me let you in on a little secret, 'Tachi." Shisui began. He leaned in close to Itachi's face. "I wanted to do that for a while. I just didn't because I didn't want to scare you away."

Itachi just stared at him. "Oh....c-can we do it again?"

Shisui nodded and grasped Itachi's chin. He connected their lips, slipping his tongue inside Itachi's mouth when he opened it. Itachi enjoyed it. He liked the way Shisui's mouth felt on his. He'd been kissed before, on missions, like the one he and Shisui had been on, but this was different. Shisui's touch didn't feel disgusting or make him want to throw up. He actually wanted more. 

Itachi was the first to pull away. He needed air. He liked Shisui. He liked the way Shisui tasted. 

He brushed Itachi's hair out of his face. "We have to keep this a secret, okay?"

"Because you're older than me?" Itachi asked. 

Shisui nodded. "I'm nineteen. You're thirteen. You're not legal until you turn sixteen. So we have to keep this a secret."

"I know." Itachi said. 

Shisui smiled at him again. "Come on. We should get up. Your parents are probably wondering where you are."

"Yeah." Itachi spoke, his eyes suddenly widening. "Oh shit, Sasuke. I have to find him."

Itachi sat up and looked around. 

"Where are my clothes?"

"Shit, I threw them in the wash. They were covered in dirt and blood." Shisui stood up and rummaged through some drawers. "Here, you can wear some of my clothes."

Itachi nodded, taking the clothes that Shisui offered. "Alright. Thanks."

Shisui grabbed his shirt off of the floor and pulled it on. He watched as Itachi pulled the clothes on. 

Shisui was surprised by how all of this went. He didn't expect Itachi to kiss him, and he sure as hell didn't expect Itachi to be okay with it. 

Shisui headed into the kitchen and grabbed an apple off of the counter. He tossed one to Itachi as he came out. Shisui stopped in front of him and cupped his chin, pressing their lips together.

Itachi smiled at him. 

"C'mon. We better get going." Shisui said.

They left the house and headed across the compound to Itachi's house. He pushed the door open and he heard yelling from inside. 

Itachi and Shisui walked into the kitchen where they saw Itachi's parents sitting at the table with Sasuke. 

"If you're going somewhere, you need to tell us!" His father yelled. 

"I'm sorry. I just figured it wouldn't matter. You never pay attention to anything I do anyway." Sasuke muttered. 

Itachi's mother came over to them. 

"Where was he?" Itachi asked. 

"He decided to spend some time at Naruto's house and not tell us because he thought we wouldn't care."

Itachi looked between her and Sasuke before going over to Sasuke. 

Shisui looked at Mikoto. "He stayed at my place last night. I meant to come by and tell you, but I fell asleep. Sorry."

She hugged Shisui. "It's alright. Just take care of him, okay?"

He nodded. He looked over to Itachi, who was sitting next to Sasuke. 

"Sasuke, what were you thinking? We were all so worried. You can't take off like that."

"Well mother and father don't pay attention to anything I do anyway, so I just figured that they wouldn't care if I went to Naruto's." Sasuke muttered. 

Shisui walked over, placing his hand on Sasuke's head. "Lemme talk to him for a second, 'Tachi."

Itachi nodded. 

"Let's go up to your room for a few, okay?"

Sasuke nodded and led Shisui up to his room. Sasuke sat on his bed, staring up at Shisui. "Are you gonna yell at me too?"

"No, but I'm gonna tell you something." Shisui started. "You can't tell anyone I told you this, but you know how your big brother never cries?"

Sasuke nodded. 

"Well, when we got back yesterday, and Itachi found out that you were missing, he cried. He was so worried about you. He thought something bad had happened to you."

Sasuke frowned. "I didn't mean to make Itachi cry. I feel bad."

"It's okay. I know he feels better now that he knows you're safe." Shisui explained. "Itachi cares about you more than anything. He'd do anything for you. If you ever feel like your parents don't care or aren't interested, just remember that you have an amazing big brother that would give his life for you. He may be busy a lot of the time, but he still cares about you."

"I know. I was just mad that mother and father always act like I don't exist and I just left...I'm sorry."


	6. Thunder

"'Tachi, you gotta move a little faster next time." Shisui panted. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you."

"I'm fine."

He looked at the cut on Itachi's arm, rubbing his thumb over it and smearing the blood across his skin. Itachi immediatley tensed at the sight of the blood on his skin. The cut didn't hurt, but it was fairly deep. There was a lof of blood.

He watched as Shisui licked the blood off of his own thumb. He glanced at Itachi, who was focused on the cut.

"Itachi?"

He pulled Itachi close and kissed his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

He looked between Itachi and the cut. He placed his hand over the cut, hiding it from Itachi's line of sight.

"Hey...What happened?"

Itachi blinked and looked up at Shisui. "Huh?"

"You just like, zoned out. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I-I just don't really like blood."

Shisui picked one of the kunai up off the ground. He sliced his finger open and watched as Itachi gasped and grabbed his hand.

"Don't do that." He whispered.

"Why don't you like blood?"

Itachi shrugged. "I don't know. It just bothers me...I-I guess, whenever I see a lot of it, it means that someone else is dead. And I don't like it."

He took Itachi's hand off of his own and squeezed the cut he made. "There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just blood. Everyone bleeds. It can't hurt you."

Itachi looked at the cut on his arm. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Come on. That's enough training for one day. Let's go get that cleaned up."

Itachi nodded and followed Shisui into the house. Shisui let the back door slam behind them.

He led Itachi into the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinet until he found a small container of healing salve. He rubbed it on Itachi's arm and put a bandage over it.

He leaned down and kissed Itachi, playing with his hair a little.

The two headed into the bedroom and sat down on the bed.

It's been about a month since Itachi had first kissed Shisui and he was happy. He's been able to sleep, and it's become almost like a habit of his to always tell Shisui how he was feeling. It made him feel better. He hasn't been as stressed. And he and Shisui have gotten closer. They're always together. Itachi hardly ever goes home anymore, just here and there to see Sasuke. He didn't mind it much because it meant that he got to avoid all contact with his father.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shisui pull his shirt over his head. He turned to look at him. He loved watching Shisui. He was so hot. Itachi may only be thirteen but he understands a lot about relationships and sex and all that stuff because of all the missions he's been on where he had to play the object of someone's sexual desire. He knew that he wanted Shisui. But he didn't know if Shisui would do anything more with him though. Shisui was okay with just kissing him, but he didn't think Shisui would even _want_ to do anything more. He probably thought that Itachi was too young and immature for anything more.

Shisui sat back down on the bed, reaching over and pulling Itachi close to him.

"What are you thinking about?" Shisui asked.

Itachi didn't answer right away. He didn't really know how to tell Shisui, so he said it as simply as possible. "You."

He smirked. "What about me?"

Itachi was afraid he'd ask that. He didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know how to tell Shisui how he felt. He just shrugged.

Shisui sighed and sat up. "What wrong? I can tell something's bothering you."

"It's nothing."

Shisui leaned in and kissed the younger boy. "Don't shut me out, Itachi. I'm here to listen to you."

Itachi sighed. "I-I want you."

"I'm here."

"No...l-like I _want_ you." He whispered.

Shisui knew what he was trying to say, but he just wanted to play with Itachi a little.

"You have me, Itachi. I'm not going anywhere."

He huffed and sat up. "No. Like I know that, but I-I...ugh nevermind...."

Shisui laughed and kissed Itachi. "I know what you're trying to say. I was just playing with you."

"You do?" He asked.

Shisui nodded. "I do."

Itachi stared at him. He wanted to know how Shisui felt about it.

"So...?"

Shisui sat up, playing with the end of Itachi's hair. "I...don't think you're ready for that yet."

"Shisui!" Itachi whined. "I am ready though!"

"You're still young. I get it, you're at that age where you feel...how do I put it...? Uh, sexual _desire_. And while I want to help you with that, I don't think you're ready." Shisui explained.

"Yes I am. How can I show you that I am?"

Shisui sighed, thinking about it.

"Alright I'll make you a deal..." Shisui told him. "I'm going to lay down a few ground rules right now. In six months, we'll revisit this conversation, and based on how you follow those rules and whatnot, I'll decide whether you're ready or not. If you are not ready, we wait another six months."

Itachi groaned. "Can it be four months instead of six? My birthday is in four months."

"I suppose."

"So, what are the rules?" Itachi asked.

Shisui gently grabbed Itachi's chin and pulled him forward. "The first rule is that you aren't allowed to call me by my name, unless I give you permission. You will call me either sir or master. Whichever you prefer."

Itachi frowned. He didn't really like that rule but he knew he had to follow it if he wanted to show Shisui that he was ready.

"The second rule is that you are mine and only mine. No one else gets to touch you. Not even you." Shisui breathed. "The missions we go on are an exception, but if anyone takes it too far or hurts you, I will kill them."

He ran his thumb over Itachi's lips.

"And the third rule is that you will do everything I say without question."

He leaned in and kissed Itachi softly.

"And if you break any of these rules, you will be punished. Do you understand?"

Itachi swallowed and nodded. "I understand."

"You understand, what?"

"Oh. I understand, sir."

"Good boy."

Itachi smiled, filled with pride at the praise.

"Shi- sir? Can I ask you a question?"

"Mm?" Shisui raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you think I'm ready?"

"It's not that I don't think you're completely ready...it's that I don't think you're able to handle _me_ yet. There's a lot of things you need to understand and get past before you'll be able to handle it."

"Like what?"

"Well for starters, your fear of blood. I'm going to help you get over that."

"Why do I need to get over that?"

"I can't tell you that just yet. You just have to find that out on your own."


	7. Last Rites

"We have reason to believe that we have a spy within the village. We're not sure if the spy is a leaf village shinobi or a foreigner. We need the two of you to find the spy. We heard a rumor that the spy will be meeting at that really big clearing outside of the village. Don't do anything but follow them. We need to know who it is and who they're talking to. Find out where they go, wherever it may be. But don't get caught. Once we have that information, we'll figure out what to do from there."

Itachi and Shisui both nodded.

"This will most likely be a lengthy mission." Shisui told Itachi.

Itachi nodded again. "I know."

Itachi had a hard time supressing his excitement. He couldn't show it around people. He was so happy he'd get to spend tons of time with Shisui. Yes, they were going to be on a mission and they had to be working, but he'd get to be with Shisui.

Shisui and Itachi left the room and headed back to Shisui's house to get ready to go stake out the park.

As soon as they got in the door, Shisui pushed Itachi up against the wall and smashed their lips together. "You know what this means, 'Tachi?"

Itachi shook his head, giving Shisui an innocent look. "No, sir."

He placed his hand on Itachi's throat, but refrained from applying any pressure. "It means I get you all to myself until this mission is over."

Itachi swallowed hard. "I think I like the way that sounds..."

"Good boy." Shisui muttered, kissing Itachi again.

Itachi opened his mouth, allowing Shisui to push his tongue inside. He tangled his fingers into Shisui hair. Itachi whimpered when Shisui's hands slipped down to squeeze his ass.

Itachi loved this. He loved when Shisui held him like this. He loved the way Shisui's hands felt on his skin and he loved the way Shisui tasted as well.

He really hoped that Shisui would deem his ready before the 4 months were up because he didn't want to wait that long. He wanted Shisui now.

Itachi groaned when Shisui pulled away. He wanted to stay like that.

"Come on. We'd best get ready."

Itachi sighed but nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

They sat on a tree branch together some distance away from the meeting place. They didn't know when the supposed spy would show up, so the two were waiting. Itachi leaned against Shisui's shoulder, watching for people to show up.

Itachi was thinking about this mission he and Shisui were given. Something about it didn't feel right. Most spies wouldn't let themselves be caught so easily. If someone really was spying on the village, they'd keep themselves concealed better. Itachi couldn't help but feel like there was some ulterior motive or something going on.

"What's wrong?" Shisui asked, brushing his finger tips through Itachi's hair.

"This feels wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"If this person was really trying to spy on us, why would they let themself get caught so easily? It doesn't make sense. No spy is that stupid. I can't shake the feeling that something else is going on..."

Shisui nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Something is off. Just keep your guard up."

"Sir?"

"Mm?"

"Will you kiss me again?"

Shisui turned to Itachi and cupped his chin. He gently pressed their lips together, holding onto the smaller boy.

Shisui pulled away, running his thumb over Itachi's lips. "Do you know how cute you are?"

Itachi smiled at him.

They both looked over as they saw someone approach the tree. They couldn't see who it was, their face was covered. The spy leaned up against the tree, glancing around.

Itachi and Shisui watched and waited for the other party to appear. It was about twenty minutes later when another person come up to the tree.

The first one that was there handed a piece of paper to the second one.

"First one is the spy. We follow him."

"Yes, sir."

The two waited for the first one to get some distance away before beginning to follow him. They both activated their sharingan, staying as quiet as possible.

The man was running through the trees, heading away from the village. Itachi never realized how fast Shisui was. He thought he was the fastest, but he could barely keep up with Shisui.

Itachi wasn't sure how long or how far they traveled, but they finally stopped. He could tell by the position of the moon that it was probably around midnight, maybe a little later. It seemed that the spy had stopped to set up camp for the night.

Shisui gestured for Itachi to follow him. They moved back a little into the woods.

"Alright." He whispered. "We stay here for the night. We'll take turns watching. Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll take the first watch. Get some sleep. I'll wake you up in like an hour or two." Shisui told the younger boy.

He leaned over and kissed Itachi before going closer to the spy again. Shisui knew that being close was dangerous, but he had to keep the man in his line of sight. This guy could not escape.

He sat on the tree branch and watched the man start a fire and set up a bed roll for him to sleep in. It was chilly out and Shisui wished he could have Itachi in his arms. But Itachi needed his sleep. He hasn't been getting nightmares as much, but he still needs sleep.

Shisui has been thinking a lot about this conversation he and Itachi had about two weeks prior, about Itachi being ready. And he could see that Itachi really wanted it. He's been following the rules that Shisui laid out fairly well, and Shisui was a little surprised. Itachi was the most stubborn person he know, aside from himself, and yet Shisui has found him obeying every little, from 'grab me a cup of coffee', to 'strip,' and Shisui was sure that if he told Itachi right now to get on his knees, he'd do it in a heartbeat. 

Shisui was getting impatient. He wanted Itachi badly. Itachi still wasn't ready though. He couldn't handle Shisui and the things he did. Unless maybe Shisui tried something more "vanilla" with Itachi. That wouldn't completely satisfy him, but it was something. And he knew that would make Itachi happy. 

He knew how wrong all of this was. Itachi was six years younger than him and he was his cousin. He didn't care though, and it seemed that Itachi didn't either. And as long as Itachi was okay with it, it was fine. 

Shisui watched as the man sat down by the fire, warming his hands. He really wished he could just go home and sleep in his own bed with Itachi. It was cold and he was bored. 

This was going to be a long night. 


	8. Royale

"I'm hungry." Itachi whined.

"I know. I am too." Shisui told him. "Lets just see where they go and then we'll grab some food. Okay?"

Itachi nodded.

They had tracked the man to a small village on the outskirts of the hidden mist village. They followed him to an inn and waited for him to enter before going to the inn across the street.

"Hi, what can I do for you today?" The woman at the desk asked.

"We need a room for, uh, three days, for now. Preferably one facing the street."

She nodded and wrote some stuff down. "We can do that. Two beds, I assume?"

Shisui glanced at Itachi. "One will be fine."

She nodded and handed Shisui a key. "Room 6."

"Thank you."

Shisui and Itachi went up to their room. They unlocked the door and dropped their stuff on the bed. Shisui gave Itachi a soft kiss.

"You go sit on the balcony and watch the inn across the street. I'm going to go get something for us to eat."

"Okay." Itachi said. "Can you get something sweet, sir? Please?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Shisui left the room and Itachi walked over to his bag. He figured that if he was going to just watch the inn right out in the open, he might as well not get caught. He pulled some simple civilian clothes out of his bag and pulled them on. It was just a plain kimono. He untied his hair and walked back out on the balcony. He leaned against the railing and watched the front entrance of the building across the street.

He hoped that Shisui would be back soon. He was hungry and bored and he really wanted a hug.

He ran his fingers through his hair, watching people pass by. It was quite boring.

It wasn't long before his mind wandered to Shisui. He wished Shisui hadn't decided to wait. Itachi knew he was ready, despite what Shisui said. He wanted to do it. He wanted Shisui. Itachi wondered if maybe he was right in the first place, and Shisui didn't actually want to do anything with him, and telling him to wait was just him trying not to hurt Itachi. He genuinely hoped that that wasn't he case. Shisui seemed to care about him, and Itachi cared about Shisui more than anything.

He heard the door open. Shisui was back. Finally. He was so hungry. "What did you get, sir?"

He turned around to look at Shisui, but it wasn't Shisui. Itachi's guard was immediately up, his eyes flashing red.

"Who are you?"

There was a man standing there, holding a knife.

Itachi glanced at the bed where he'd dropped his weapons. He didn't know if he could make it there, grab some kind of weapon, and attack the guy in time. He didn't know who this man was or what he was capable of.

"I asked you a question." Itachi growled.

"Don't matter who I am..." The man said.

Itachi took a deep breath and ran towards the bed. He reached for his sword but before he could get his hands on it, he was jumped from behind.

He struggled against whoever was holding him, eventually managing to get a shuriken from his bag. He threw it but the first man dodged it.

"Get off!" Itachi yelled.

He was dragged onto the floor and held there with his hands bent behind his back. He squirmed and fought but he got nowhere. He felt something close around his wrists. Handcuffs, he judged, by the feel of the metal digging into this skin. As soon as the cuffs were on, he felt his sharingan, as well as all of his chakra slowly bleed away.

"Let me go!"

The one that was on top of him grabbed him by his hair and smashed his head into the floor. Itachi was stunned by the blow, falling limp.

Something was placed over his eyes, his vision going dark. His head was spinning. He tried to form handsigns but he couldn't even feel his chakra anymore.

"Knock him out and bring him. Hurry up. Before the other one gets back."

"I know. I'm going as fast as I can."

Itachi groaned. "Let me go!"

All of a sudden, something covered his face. He couldn't breathe. He smelled something sweet.

And the next thing he knew, everything went black.

* * *

Shisui pushed the door open and kicked it closed behind him. He put the bag of food down on the bed, going out to the balcony. "'Tachi?"

He wasn't out on the balcony. That's odd. He walked over to the bathroom, but he wasn't in there either.

That's when he noticed it. There was a shuriken buried in the wall across the room. Itachi's sword was unsheathed, on the floor on the opposite side of the room as well. His weapons pouch was open, the contents spilled out.

He looked down at the floor. There was blood staining the carpet. He touched it. It was still wet, and warm, meaning it's fresh.

"Itachi!" He called.

What could've happened? Where did he go? Shisui went out to the balcony again. Did the guy leave maybe, and Itachi followed? No. Itachi wouldn't leave and not tell Shisui where he went. He'd leave some sort of indication.

Unless someone took him. That's the only thing that would make even a little sense here. Maybe the guy they were following figured out he was being followed so he attacked Itachi. There's no other possible explanation.

Should he go back to the village and tell them? No, they'd only want to wait until they had more information. He had to find Itachi as soon as possible.

Is it a possibility that this was the plan all along? Him and Itachi had both had a bad feeling about this mission. Maybe the other guy was intentionally acting as an ineffective spy so that the village would send ninja after them. Maybe his plan was to attack the ninja that followed him and get his information that way. That made sense too.

Both of those were possible things that could have happened. Those were the only things that made sense.

He had to find Itachi. If either of those were the case, he'd have to get the guy they were initially following. He sat and watched the entrance to the inn. He'd wait until the guy left and then find out what room he's staying in. Then he'd go get Itachi.

He had to find Itachi before something bad happened.


	9. Catharsis

When Itachi came to, he didn't know where he was. He was in a room he didn't recognize. There were no windows and no furniture other than a bed, but he was on the floor.

He pulled himself into a sitting position. His hands were still behind his back. He took a deep breath, he couldn't panic. He couldn't let himself panic. He's never been in a situation like this and he doesn't know how to handle it. Part of him wanted to scream for help but the rest of him didn't want to draw any attention to himself.

He wanted Shisui. He hoped Shisui would be able to find him. It was obvious that whoever took him wasn't the person they were following. He just hoped that Shisui would be able to figure that out.

He looked up when the door opened. There were two men there. One he recognized as the one that was in his room, and the other one, he assume was the one that had grabbed him from behind.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Itachi tried to back away from them, but he couldn't get very far. One of them came over and hooked his arm under Itachi's. He pulled him to his feet and dragged him towards the door. Itachi tried to fight them but it was no use. He had no strength for some reason. 

They dragged him out of the room and into a hallway. 

"Let me go!" He yelled through clenched teeth. 

The one who wasn't holding Itachi slapped him. "Stay quiet."

"Where are you taking me? Stop!"

They stopped and pushed him up against the wall. He roughly grabbed Itachi's chin. He slammed his head into the wall. "I suggest you shut up. I have no issue breaking your jaw."

Itachi swallowed hard and decided that maybe he should keep his mouth shut. He doesn't know if this man would actually do it. And he didn't want to risk it. 

He let go of Itachi and they brought him down the hall to a door. He knocked on the door, digging his nails into Itachi’s arm.

"Come in."

They pushed the door open and shoved Itachi inside.

There was an older man sitting at a desk, staring Itachi down.

“Uncuff him.” The man said.

“Are you sure? He could attack you, sir.”

“He won’t if he wants to live.” He said, eyeing Itachi.

They unlocked the cuffs and dropped them on the floor.

“You two are dismissed.” He said.

The two that brought Itachi in left, closing the door behind them.

Itachi stood there, completely still. He watched the man. The man eyed him like he was a piece of meat, looking him up and down.

Itachi wanted to attack him. He didn’t know who this man was or what he wanted.

“Don’t even think about it.” He said, leaning back in his chair. “If you so much as move to make a single hand sign, you’ll be dead before you even complete it.”

Itachi swallowed hard. He bit his tongue, staying completely quiet.

The man crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Take it off.”

Itachi felt a tightness in his chest. “What?”

“Take. It. Off.”

Itachi didn’t move. He wasn’t taking anything off. Not for this man.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” Itachi asked. “What I can do to you?”

The man laughed. “I’m aware of who you are. I did my research, Itachi Uchiha.” He stood up. “And I’ll say it again, if you dare try anything, I’ll kill you.”

Itachi didn’t say anything else.

“Now, take it off.”

Itachi shuddered. He didn’t really have much of a choice, did he? He sighed and untied his kimono. He closed his eyes as he let it fall to the ground. He could feel the man’s eyes on him. He hated it. He didn’t know what this man was going to do but he knew he didn’t like it so far.

“Good.” He said.

“Why am I here?” Itachi whispered. “What do you want?”

“Well, I saw you in the street, and I figured I could make some good money off of you.”

“You’re gonna sell me?”

“After I train you, of course.”

He approached Itachi and grasped his chin.

“Shisui will kill you if you touch me.” Itachi breathed.

“That’s cute, but no one can kill me.”

For the first time in a very, very long time, Itachi felt real fear.

* * *

Itachi was nowhere to be found. There were no traces of him anywhere. Shisui didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t at the other inn at all. There was no sign of him ever being there. 

He walked down the road, trying to think of possible places that Itachi could be, or who could’ve taken him. It didn’t make sense. There are very few people who’d dare touch an Uchiha. The ones that do are either fools, or are very powerful. And judging by the fact that Itachi was still missing, whoever took him wasn’t a fool. How they even managed to get their hands on Itachi was beyond him. Itachi would’ve fought. He wouldn’t just let them take him, unless they had some kind of leverage. And there’s no possible leverage that anyone could have had over Itachi. It was possible that they could have caught him when his guard was down. Shisui remembered that when they got to the inn, Itachi dropped all of his weapons on the bed. He wasn’t armed. And judging by the way the room was when he returned, it seemed that Itachi had tried to get his weapons, but wasn’t fast enough. And he had a feeling that the blood on the floor belonged to Itachi.

Shisui ended up stopping at a stand to grab something to eat. While he was standing there, waiting in line, he overheard a conversation between two women in front of him.

“Did you hear? Another two girls and a boy went missing last night.”

“Wait really?”

The first woman nodded. “People are saying that it’s the slavers. They’ve been making their way down the coast, taking whoever catches their eye.”

“I’m keeping my kids in the house then. I don’t want anyone hurting them.”

“Yeah I am too.”

Shisui turned around and left. Slavers. Of course. That makes a lot of sense. Itachi fits their basic profile. Young, attractive, slim, But where were they? Where could be find them? Chances are, if he finds these slavers, he finds Itachi. But he needs to find them before they move on to the next town. Or he’d never see Itachi again.


	10. Blood Moon

He's done this before. It's no different from all the missions he's been on. It's nothing new. He can't let it freak him out. Except no one knows he's here. On his missions, someone always knew where he was and finished before anything actually happened to Itachi.

Itachi had been brought back to the room. He was cuffed to the bed and gagged, unable to go anywhere. He couldn't fight. He just had to face it. This man was going to sell him. He was just going to become a slave. With his chakra cut off like this, he couldn't fight. If he couldn't fight, he couldn't escape. And there was no way that Shisui would be able to figure out what happened to him. It wasn't something that Shisui would think of. He had no way of knowing that there were slavers in the town and that they were the ones that took him.

Itachi looked down at himself, shuddering softly. It was cold in here and he was completely naked. Thankfully, the man hadn't touched him yet. He was scared of what would happen when he did. He feared what Shisui would think if he just let this man touch him. One of Shisui's rules was that only he could touch him and Itachi didn't want to break that rule. He didn't want Shisui to get mad at him or think he wasn't ready. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't fight.

He was genuinely scared. He wasn't trained for situations like this. He was never taught what to do if he was kidnapped by slavers.

He was so tired and hungry. He didn't want to sleep because that meant he'd be letting his guard down. And he doubted they would give him any food.

Itachi couldn't help but hate himself right now. He hates feeling helpless. He's never been this helpless before. He couldn't get out of here without Shisui's help. He was scared and alone and he wanted to cry. But he couldn't. He hated crying. He'd only ever cried around Shisui because Shisui didn't judge him or be mean to him or anything.

The door opened and Itachi shifted to cover himself as best he could. He didn't have the use of his hands, so he did his best. The man entered the room, slowly walking over to Itachi.

Itachi flinched when he was grabbed by his hair, his head forced back. He let out a small whimper through the gag.

He undid the gag and let if fall down between them. "You going to be a good little girl for me today, huh?"

"I'm not a girl..." Itachi whispered.

"You'll be whatever I tell you to be."

Itachi didn't say anything. He looked down.

"I'll ask you again: Are you going to be a good little girl for me today?"

Itachi nodded slightly, sighing. "Yes."

He placed his hands on Itachi's knees, forcing them apart. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to put his mind any place else.

He should've fought when he had the chance. He would have either died or have gotten free. He wouldn't be in this place right now either way. Of course, he'd rather not die, but if that's what got him away from this place, he'd take it.

He could feel the man's hands all over his body. He wanted to cry. He fought back tears. He couldn't let this man know that he was getting to him.

"I'm gonna make you sing, sweetheart..."

All of a sudden, a sharp pain shot up his side. He screamed, his eyes snapping open.

The man held a lighter in his hand. He waved it in front of Itachi's face before moving is down to his stomach. He held the flame to Itachi's skin, forcing another pained scream from his lips.

He did it over and over again. He held the flame to his skin until he bled, covering Itachi's previously unscarred body in painful fourth degree burns. Every spot that could be easily reached was burnt. Itachi's voice was hoarse from screaming. The only thing that came out were small broken whimpers, every time the fire touched him.

It felt like it went on for hours. He was crying, tears dripping down his pale cheeks. He'd been trained to endure torture, but nothing like this. This wasn't just torture, it was hell.

He grabbed Itachi by his hair, pulling him up off the bed a little. Itachi was panting and shaking. He'd never felt so much pain in his life. "Look at you...You look pathetic. Covered in tears, unable to scream, trembling like a leaf...A pitiful sight, indeed."

He dropped Itachi back down.

"I'll be back later to finish this."

The moment the door closed again, broken sobs racked Itachi's body. He convulsed, every movement hurting more than the last. He wished he was dead. He didn't want to hurt like this any longer.

He was terrified of what the mans statement would entail. What would he do? How did he plan to finish this? Was he going to kill Itachi?

He thought about Shisui. Shisui wouldn't want him anymore. He really was pathetic, sitting here, sobbing uncontrollably, covered in burns. Who would want that?

* * *

Shisui had been going around town, trying to get information on these slavers. It appeared that no one knew anything, and if they did, they weren’t talking. All he really got was that they tend to stay in a town for about a month. And the disappearances only started a little more than week ago. And it’s been three days since Itachi was taken. So he had time.

He had tried to talk to people, to try and see if they knew anything about any locations or anything, but no one told him anything. No one wanted to talk. This was going to make things a lot harder.

He could only imagine how Itachi was feeling right now. Itachi was strong, but these slavers had a reputation for being able to break even the strongest people. He could only imagine what they were doing to him. He just hoped he could get to him in time, before anything really bad happened.

Shisui jumped from rooftop to rooftop, trying to spot any suspicious people or places. The town wasn’t too big, so finding where they are shouldn’t be too hard. But it was proving to be quite hard. There was an old warehouse on the edge of the town, but it was empty.

He stopped for a moment, looking around.

Maybe he shouldn’t be looking for a suspicious area. They’re not that stupid. Maybe they rented property in the town. It would make sense. Why would someone who is new to town, and openly renting some property be engaging in human trafficking? It wouldn’t make sense to regular people. Most people figure that a new person it town would try to make a good impression.

He’s not sure how the town’s police haven’t figured it out yet. A new person comes into town and people start going missing right after. He didn’t know for sure that there were any new people, but it made sense. He’d have to ask around.


	11. Hush

When the sun came up, Shisui went into to town's market too see if anyone had any information. The first few people he had spoke to didn't want to to talk though.

He walked through the crowds of people, searching for someone who seemed open to conversation. Most people just gave him odd looks and avoided him.

Shisui stopped at a stall with a middle aged woman running it.

"Hi, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm okay. How are you?" He responded.

"I'm fine, thank you. What can I do for you today?"

"I'm investing some disappearances in the area. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

"Oh, yes of course. I'll tell you anything I can."

Shisui smiled at her. "Thank you. I was wondering if you've noticed any new people in town, maybe in the last two weeks or so?"

She seemed to think for a moment before nodding. "You know, now that you mention it, I remember hearing that someone moved into that old mansion on the edge of town about two or two and a half weeks ago."

"Did you hear anything about who it was that moved in there?"

She shook her head. "Not much. Just that it was a man who had some business in the area and was staying here until he was done."

"Do you know anything about the disappearances?"

"Only the rumours." She told him. "Some people are saying it's the slavers that have been going down the coast. They've been saying that they finally reached us."

Shisui nodded. "Okay. Thank you so much for you help. You've given me some valuable information."

Shisui left the stand, heading away from the market. He was almost a hundred percent sure that this new business man was one of the ones who took Itachi. It's the only thing that makes sense. Someone new comes into town right before the disappearances start.

He decided that he had to check out that mansion that the woman told him about. It was his only lead right now. And if Itachi isn't there, he's not sure where he could be.

Shisui made his was up to the highest point in the town. He looked around, trying to spot this mansion.

It didn't take him long. It was to the east, on the edge of the town, just like the woman said. He started heading towards it. If Itachi was there, he needed to get Itachi out.

He was so worried, he hadn't slept in days. Not since Itachi went missing. He was beyond tired and he hoped he'd be able to fight if he needed to.

It's been four days. He knew it wasn't a really long time, but for him, it felt like years. He hasn't been able to focus on anything but Itachi. He still didn't know how they even managed to grab him. Itachi would never go down without a fight.

He was worried about what would happen if Itachi was there. Shisui knew he wouldn't be able to control himself. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing every single person in that house. Itachi was his and they dared to touch him. They had to die and Shisui would make sure they suffered. But he didn't want to scare Itachi and risk pushing him away. If Itachi saw how he really was, he'd run. Itachi already didn't like violence, and Shisui still hadn't been able to completely get rid of Itachi's fear of blood, and Shisui knew that if Itachi watched him, he'd hate him. He had to make sure Itachi was safe before he went on a killing spree. It was the only way that Itachi wouldn't be terrified of him. What he doesn't know can't hurt him.

He came up to the house, stopping about 10 yards away. He squatted down and made his was around the back of the house, looking through the windows as he passed them. So far, he didn't see anyone inside. He stopped a little before the back door, looking around to make sure no one was there. It didn't seem like there were many people there, but he knew he could be wrong. He's only able to see the outer parts of the house.

He slowly walked up the steps and grabbed the doorknob. It was unlocked, so he pushed it open. He quickly went inside and shut the door softly. He looked around, still not seeing anyone. He didn't sense anyone nearby either. He activated his sharingan, moving into the room on his left.

He stopped for a moment, focusing on his surroundings. He could tell that there were people on the second floor. He sensed about nine. One of which he hoped was Itachi. He found the stairs and made his way up, keeping his sword ready.

All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling scream rang through the house. Shisui froze dead in his tracks, his eyes wide.

Itachi.

* * *

Itachi screamed. He couldn't help it. The man was doing the same thing he did previously, taking fire to Itachi's skin, holding it there much longer than he should. The only difference now was that he was rubbing salt in his wounds, causing the boy to scream even louder. It burned. The pain lingered long after he moved on. He could feel it through his entire body.

He pressed the lighter to Itachi's skin again, pulling another scream from him. He stopped and stared at Itachi for a moment, before dropping the lighter on the bed.

He grabbed Itachi's chin and forced his mouth open. He shoved two fingers down Itachi's throat. Itachi gagged and tried to turn his head away.

Tears ran down Itachi's cheeks. He wanted nothing more than for him to stop. He wanted Shisui to come and take him home.

The man pulled his fingers out and moved back down Itachi's body. Itachi closed his eyes tightly, gasping when he felt the mans fingers at his hole.

"N-no." He whispered.

He felt him push one in. He didn't like it. It was uncomfortable. It hurt. He felt so beyond violated. He couldn't do this. Itachi wasn't his.

He slowly moved the finger in and out before adding the second one. Itachi whimpered.

"Stop." He rasped.

Itachi was too weak to fight him. His entire body ached.

Where was Shisui? Why hasn't he come yet?

The man moved his fingers inside of Itachi, stretching him out just barely enough. He tried to move away from the man, but he couldn't. He was scared. He knew where this was going and he didn't want it to go there. He couldn't do this. Itachi didn't want him to do this.

He pulled his fingers out and unbuttoned his pants. Itachi kept his eyes shut.

"Please don't..."

Itachi's pleas fell on deaf ears. He didn't care.

He knew what was coming and he was scared. He didn't want it. He wanted Shisui to be his first. Not this guy. Not anyone else. And Shisui would probably be mad at him because he let this man touch him.

There was loud bang and Itachi's eyes snapped open. He gasped, his eyes going wide.

Shisui stood there, his sword against the mans throat.

Shisui stared at him, anger and disgust all over his face. The look scared Itachi. He didn't want Shisui to be mad at him. He didn't want to lose Shisui.

"Itachi..." He spoke. He sounded eerily calm. Itachi didn't like it. He was right. Shisui is mad at him. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to."


	12. Vicious

Itachi did as Shisui told him, keeping his eyes closed. He didn't want to make Shisui anymore mad at him.

He heard Shisui's voice. He was whispering something, but Itachi couldn't make out exactly what he was saying. He heard the sound of something hitting the ground.

Itachi jumped when he felt a hand on him.

"It's okay." Shisui said. "It's just me."

Itachi relaxed slightly.

"Look at me, Itachi."

Itachi opened his eyes, staring up at Shisui. He uncuffed Itachi and helped him up. The way he stood blocked Itachi from seeing anything else.

Shisui pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around Itachi. "Close your eyes again. You can open then once we get outside. I'm going to take you back to the inn. I'll treat your wounds there. I have something that will help with the pain and keep it from scarring."

He nodded. Itachi couldn't tell how Shisui was feeling. There was no emotion in his voice. He didn't know if Shisui was angry with him. It worried him. He doesn't like not knowing things.

Shisui lifted Itachi into his arms. He could tell that Itachi would have a hard time walking.

He had killed the man in the room. Shisui wanted so badly to make him suffer for what he did, but he knew he couldn't do it with Itachi around. It took everything in him not to go and kill the rest of them. He'd made the last minute decision to just get Itachi safe first. Itachi was priority. He'd come back once Itachi fell asleep and finish this.

He pushed the door open with his foot. Itachi made the mistake of opening his eyes for a split second. He glanced over Shisui's shoulder, the sight of the man startling him. He was covered in blood, his throat slit open. Itachi closed his eyes tightly, hiding his face in Shisui's neck.

"I-I'm sorry." He mumbled.

Shisui didn't answer him. He wasn't even sure if Shisui heard him. Itachi just held onto him.

He felt cool air hit his skin. They were outside. "You can open your eyes."

Itachi did as he was told. He opened his eyes and looked around. He could see the big house getting farther and farther away as Shisui jumped through trees and over rooftops.

It wasn't long before they reached the inn. Shisui jumped onto the balcony and carried Itachi through the doorway. He carefully set him down on the bed, before going over to his bag.

Itachi just watched Shisui.He still couldn't tell how Shisui was feeling. He was afraid that Shisui was angry. He was afraid that Shisui was going to push him away.

He came back over, holding a jar and a roll of bandages.

He gently touched one of the burns, glancing up at Itachi. "What are these? What did he do?"

"Th-they're burns. He burned me with a lighter."

Shisui growled.

Itachi was sure Shisui was mad at him. He's never seen him like this. There's no emotion in his voice. And he's got this look in his eye, Itachi couldn't even explain it. He looked so angry and disgusted.

This was his fault. If only he hadn't let his guard down, he wouldn't have been caught. This wouldn't be happening right now. This was all his fault. And now Shisui was mad.

He rubbed the salve on Itachi's thigh, wrapping in in bandages.

He didn't notice when Itachi began to cry.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I-"

"Why are you apologizing?" He interrupted.

"Because i-it's my fault. I'm sorry."

"What's your fault?"

"It's my fault I got caught. I n-never should have let m-my guard down. I was stupid." Itachi sobbed, wiping his eyes. "And it's my fault he did this. I couldn't fight him. It's my fault he touched me and it's my fault you're mad..."

"It's not your fault, Itachi. And I'm not mad—not at you." He said. "You had no way of knowing this would happen. You let your guard down because there was no reason to be on guard. You couldn't fight because he cut off your chakra. And I told you, if anyone hurt you, I'd kill them. And I did."

"B-but you looked so angry and disgusted when you saw me..." Itachi mumbled. "I-I was afraid you were gonna a-abandon me. I was afraid you didn't want me anymore."

Shisui sighed. "I'm angry and disgusted, yes, but not at you. At him, for what he did. For what he was about to do. I'm not going anywhere, Itachi. I promise. I wouldn't leave even if you begged me to."

Shisui reached up and ran his fingers through Itachi's hair. He wiped Itachi's tears away with his thumb, leaning over to place a soft kiss on the boy's lips.

"It's going to be okay." He spoke.

Itachi nodded.

Shisui finished treating Itachi's wounds. "Those should heal fine in a few days. Try and get some sleep, okay?"

Shisui stood but Itachi grabbed his arm. "Stay."

Shisui laid down behind Itachi, running his fingertips up and down his side. He watched as Itachi's eyes closed and he slowly drifted off.

Shisui watched Itachi sleep. He looked peaceful. Shisui pulled a small vial from his pocket and uncapped it. It was a drug that would make sure Itachi stayed asleep, at least until Shisui got back. He felt bad about drugging him, but he didn't want Itachi to wake up while he was gone. He knew that in his current state, he'd panic and think that Shisui had abandoned him.

Shisui leaned over Itachi and held the vial to his lips. He poured a few drops of the liquid into Itachi's mouth. He groaned softly but stayed asleep. Shisui kissed Itachi's forehead and stood up.

It was time to finish what he started. He locked the door and went out to the balcony. It was starting to get dark now. He wondered if anyone had discovered the body of the man yet. If they did, they were all panicking, trying to figure out what happened, and if not, well, they were in for a quite a surprise.


	13. Blood Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the beginning of this chapter has a lot of violence and whatnot, so read it at your own discretion

Shisui kicked the door open, not bothering with stealth this time around. He didn't care who heard him since they were all going to die anyway. Innocent or not, he didn't care. They were here so they had to die. Guilty by association. He couldn't wait to taste their blood, to bathe in it. He lived for it. He loved it. There was something so beautiful, so pure, about watching someone's life just drain from their eyes, being the one to cause it.

He heard the first person come towards him, down the stairs. He pulled his blade from its sheathe and threw it at the man, burying it in his chest. Blood spattered across the wall, sending a shiver down Shisui's spine. Beautiful.

Shisui growled. These were the people who dared to touch his Itachi, who dared to hurt him. They deserved to die. They deserved to suffer. And Shisui wanted badly to torture every last one of them, but he no longer had the time nor the patience. He just wanted to kill them, to give in to his deepest and darkest desire, to quench his thirst for blood. He needed this. It's been far too long since he was able to slaughter a group this large. And he was elated. This was going to be fun.

He pulled his blade from the man's body and stepped over him, slowly heading up the stairs. He held the sword up, the blood dripping down the blade, onto his hand. Shisui licked the blood from his skin, reveling in the taste, groaning softly.

There was a man standing at the top of the stairs. He was frozen in fear. He'd seen what Shisui had done to the other man. He didn't want to die.

Shisui got closer and closer, but the man couldn't move. Shisui smirked, suddenly gone from his line of view. The man's eyes went wide and he looked around him.

Shisui reappeared behind the man, driving his sword through his stomach. The man coughed and choked, blood spilling from his lips. Shisui let the man fall to the floor. He'd bleed out in a few minutes.

He moved on, sensing two people in a room to his left. He pushed the door open. It was two young girls, victims of the slavers by the looks of them. Shisui didn't care. They had to die too.

"Please don't hurt me!" One cried.

The other one just stared at him.

Shisui smirked, staring her down. He lifted his sword and ran his tongue along the blade. He laughed. 

Before she could say anything else, he threw two kunai across the room. Both girls lay dead. Blood spilled onto the floor.

He left the room. There were only three left. He remembered when he got here originally, he sensed nine. He killed one when he took Itachi. So there's seven. He killed four just now. There are only three left.

He moved down the hall. There was one more down here. The final two were in the opposite direction.

He pushed a door open. There was a young boy, maybe around Itachi's age there. He was cuffed to the bed like Itachi had been. He looked terrified. Shisui stared at the boy. He actually reminded him of Itachi. He had those same big, innocent eyes. Shisui almost didn't want to kill him.

He shook his head lightly, clearing his mind. He approached the boy. He was trembling with fear, staring up at Shisui.

He took a kunai from the pouch on his leg. He pointed it at the boy. The boy gasped. "Please let me go..."

Shisui didn't speak. He ran the tip of the blade down his arm, digging it in to his skin. The boy cried out.

He wanted to drag this out, to make it last, but he didn't have the time. He only had about another hour at best before the drug he gave Itachi wore off. He should have given him more.

"Stop! Please!"

Shisui growled and stabbed the boy in the neck. He watched the life leave his eyes as he choked on blood. Shisui tilted his head back and let out a deep exhale.

Two.

He rushed through the house in the opposite direction, searching for his last victims.

They were easy to find. They stood there defensively, as if they were going to try and fight.

He threw his sword at the one on his left, burying it in his stomach. He collapsed on the floor, groaning in pain.

They didn't stand a chance against him. He was too fast. Shisui vanished again. The other man panicked, looking around him.

He gasped and spun around when Shisui appeared behind him. He tried to run but Shisui grabbed him by his shirt collar. He pulled the man into his body and ran the edge of a kunai across his throat.

Shisui dropped the body and went over to the other one. He pulled his sword from the man's stomach. He screamed in agony, but was cut off by Shisui's blade cutting through his throat.

Shisui let go of the sword, watching it hit the floor. He followed, dropping down on one knee.

It was done.

He looked down at himself. He was covered in blood. He had to hurry and get back. He needed to bathe before Itachi woke up and saw him. But the longer Shisui stared at the blood, the more aroused he got. He shuddered softly, watching it drop down his fingertips. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it. It was so pretty.

Shisui allowed his mind to wander to Itachi, to how absolutely wonderful the boy would look covered in the scarlet substance. He wanted so badly to go back to the inn and just have his way with Itachi, but he knew he couldn't. Itachi wasn't ready to see this side of him just yet. He'd panic if he saw Shisui like this. It would drive him away.

Shisui forced himself to look away. He got to his feet and walked out of the house, stepping over bodies and through pools of blood. He walked out the open door and headed back to the inn.

He had to hurry. Itachi would be waking up soon.

Shisui tried his hardest to just ignore how he felt. He couldn't focus on that now. It didn't matter. What mattered was him getting back in time. Once he got there he could deal with his problem.

He made it back eventually, jumping from the rooftop across the street to the balcony. He briefly realized then that he'd completely abandoned their mission. He didn't care. He'd deal with that another time.

He walked into the room. Thankfully, Itachi was still asleep. He headed towards the bathroom, but stopped when he looked over at Itachi's sleeping form.

He slowly walked over to the boy, sitting on the edge of the bed. He carefully ran his fingertips along his jaw. Shisui stared at the small smear of blood he left behind on Itachi's pale skin. He stared at his hand for a moment before looking back at Itachi.

He trailed his fingers down Itachi's neck and shoulders. The only thing he wore was the sheet he'd taken from the house. He'd forgot to tell Itachi to put clothes on before he fell asleep.

Shisui glanced up at his face, making sure he was still asleep. Itachi was beautiful. He looked so peaceful.

He carefully pushed the sheet aside.

He shouldn't be doing this. Itachi could wake up any minute.

He rested his hand on Itachi's stomach, letting out a long breath.

He heard a soft groan and he pulled his hand away. "Sh-Sir?"

Shisui stood up quickly, turning his back to Itachi.

Itachi sat up and looked up at him. "Sir?"

"Mm?" Shisui responded, not looking back at him.

Itachi got to his feet and stepped over to Shisui. He placed his hand on Shisui's shoulder. He jerked away.

Itachi was confused. Why was Shisui acting so strangely?

"A-are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Itachi tried to look at Shisui, but Shisui just turned around again.

"Why won't you look at me?" Itachi asked. He was getting worried. What was wrong with Shisui?

Itachi tried to grab him again but Shisui moved.

"Just look at me!" Shisui could hear the panic in Itachi's voice.

The light coming though the window hit Shisui, and that's when Itachi saw it. He saw the blood that was splattered across Shisui's clothes.

Itachi froze. "Wh-what...what happened?"

Shisui didn't answer. He shouldn't have let himself get distracted.

"Nothing."

"Y-you're covered in...blood. W-what did you do?"

"It's nothing."

Itachi swallowed hard. He took a deep breath. "Look at me. Please...I-I'm not afraid."

Itachi was very much afraid and Shisui could tell. He turned nonetheless, knowing that Itachi would be persistent.

Itachi just stared at him. There was blood spattered across Shisui’s face and clothes. His hands were covered in it. Itachi was terrified. But he couldn’t let Shisui see it. He kept a straight face.

“What did you do?”

Shisui sighed and sat down on the bed. There’s no going back now. Either Itachi accepts it or he runs away. There’s no other option. “I finished what I started.”

“A-at the house?”

Shisui nodded. “I told you, I’d kill anyone who hurt you.”

“I know.” Itachi spoke. He moved so that he was in front of Shisui. Maybe he could get over this fear. Shisui seemed upset.

Itachi leaned into Shisui, placing a hand on his cheek. He kissed him softly. Itachi felt something hard against his leg when he was close to him. His eyes went wide. Is this why Shisui said he wasn’t ready? Because Shisui liked blood? Is that even what this was? Or was it because Itachi was half naked on top of him? He wasn’t sure.

“Is...is this what you meant when you said I wasn’t ready, that I could handle you?” Itachi asked.

Shisui met his eyes. “Yes.”

Itachi sat himself down on Shisui’s lap. Shisui tried to push him off.

“Let me help you.”

“No.”

“I’m ready, Shisui! Please let me help you?”

“What did you say?”

Itachi realized what he said. He said his name. That was one of Shisui’s rules. “I’m sorry, sir. I-I didn’t mean to...I just want to help.”

“No.” Shisui growled. “Enough. Get off of me.”

“No! I’m not a little kid! Please.”

“I said no. If you push me any further, you’ll regret it.” He threatened.

“Why? Why won’t you let me help you?” Itachi asked. “I can handle it. I’m not afraid.”

“Three reasons.” Shisui told him. “One: you are injured; two: you just went through something traumatic and you’re not thinking clearly; and three...”

He pulled a kunai out and grabbed Itachi’s hand. He made a small but deep cut on Itachi’s palm. He gasped softly, staring at the blood pooling on his skin. He was trembling.

“...You are still afraid.”

“It doesn’t hurt. And I’m thinking perfectly clear. Clearer than ever. Why do I even need to get over that fear anyway? It’s not important!”

“It’s very important. I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You’re still a child.”

Shisui was getting angry. Itachi could hear it in his voice.

“Get the hell off of me.”

“What don’t I understand?”

Shisui growled. “I like inflicting pain! I enjoy killing people! I live for it! That’s what you don’t understand! And that is why you are not ready! If I hurt you, you will leave. That is why I need you to get over this ridiculous fear of yours!”

Itachi didn’t know what to say.

Shisui pushes him off and stood up. Itachi grabbed his arm. “Let me help you!”

All of a sudden, he grabbed Itachi by the throat and shoved him down on the bed. Itachi’s could feel Shisui’s breath on his face. He could see every drop of dried blood on his skin.

“If you push me any further, you will regret it.” He spoke, his voice sounding eerily calm.

“I want to help you. I understand.” Itachi choked.

It was like a switch flipped inside of Shisui. He ripped the sheet away from Itachi’s body, tightening his grip on his throat.

“Fine.” He hissed. “You really wanna help?”

Itachi nodded as best he could, gripping Shisui’s wrist and trying to pull it away. He’s never seen Shisui like this and he feared that he’d gone too far. He pushed Shisui when he was already on edge and he could tell that Shisui was angry.

Itachi didn’t know what exactly was going to happen, and he didn’t know if he should be scared or not. But he was ready for whatever was going to happen. After all, he asked for it.


	14. Rapture

Shisui knew he had to try and control himself. He was so beyond angry with Itachi for pushing him to this point. He warned the boy, but he just didn't want to listen.

Itachi dug his nails into Shisui's hand, trying to pull it away. Shisui was hurting him. He couldn't breathe.

Shisui glared at him before roughly flipping him over. He grabbed Itachi's hair and yanked his head to the side. Itachi whimpered as Shisui bit his neck him as hard as he could.

Shisui sat up for a moment. Itachi's looked behind him as he tore his own clothes off. When Shisui noticed Itachi staring, he reached over and shoved his head into the pillow. He leaned down near Itachi's ear, keeping his grip on the back of his head. "A disobedient slut like you doesn't get to look at his master."

The tone of Shisui's voice sent a shiver down Itachi's spine.

Shisui grabbed Itachi's hips and pulled them up. He dug his nails into his skin.

Shisui lifted one hand and slapped Itachi's ass. Itachi made a surprised sound. He jumped, but Shisui held him in place.

He grabbed Itachi by his hair, lifting his head just enough to shove two fingers in his mouth. Itachi gagged and tried to move away. He reached to grab Shisui's hand. Shisui let go of his hair to grab his hand. He bent it behind his back, holding it there. Itachi groaned.

"Why are you fighting me? You wanted this. You begged me for it. Shut up and take it."

Shisui pulled his fingers from his mouth, deciding they were wet enough, and let go of him.

Shisui grabbed Itachi's ass and pushed a finger inside of him. Itachi gasped.

It was uncomfortable, but at the same time, pleasant. He wanted Shisui to stop, and not go any further, but at the same time, he wanted more. He wanted all that Shisui could give him. He wanted to help Shisui and he wanted to show him that he was ready and that he could handle it. He knew that Shisui was angry with him, and that he'd be punished for it later. He'd never actually broken any of Shisui's rules before. He didn't know what to expect from Shisui when it came to a punishment. He could handle it though. He had to.

Shisui pushed a second finger inside, moving them in and out at a fast pace. Itachi groaned and whimpered, pushing back against Shisui's hand as best he could. Shisui held him still. He didn't care about Itachi's pleasure right now. He didn't care that Itachi wanted more.

Once he felt that Itachi was ready enough, he pulled his fingers out. He whined and looked back at Shisui.

Shisui reaches to unbutton his pants, but stopped and met Itachi's eyes. "What did I say before?"

Itachi quickly turned back. "S-sorry, sir."

"What did I say?"

Itachi swallowed hard. "That a-a disobedient s-slut like me d-doesn't get to look at his master."

"And what are you?" Shisui asked, digging his fingers into Itachi's hip.

"I-I'm a disobedient slut, sir." Itachi mumbled, hoping that was the correct answer.

"That's right." He growled. "You're a slut."

Itachi's face was red. Something about that name made him shiver. He felt his stomach tighten every time it was said. He didn't know why he liked it. All he knew was that he wanted Shisui to say it again.

"S-say it again. Please, sir."

Shisui stared at the back of Itachi's head. Well, that was unexpected. "Say what?"

"Call me that again..."

"Call you what?"

Itachi swallowed hard. "A-A slut."

Shisui smirked. "Oh, you like it when I call you that?"

Itachi nodded.

"It's what you are. It's how you act." Shisui said, deciding that he'd indulge Itachi just this once. "You're a slut. A stupid little slut who can't follow his master's rules, who can't listen when he's told to stop. An annoying little slut who just keeps pushing despite being warned of what would happen. A disobedient little slut who's going to lay here and take his master's cock like good a little bitch, and if he behaves, then maybe, just maybe, his master will forgive him for being a selfish brat."

Itachi's breath caught in his throat. Shisui was beyond angry and he made it clear with what he said. But Itachi didn't really give much thought to what his words meant, he was too preoccupied by the way they felt.

Shisui finished unbuttoning his pants, pulling them down just enough to free himself. He stroked himself, looking over Itachi's body. Itachi was panting softly, his hair spread out around him. He could just barely see the bruises forming where he'd grabbed him. He couldn't wait any longer. He grabbed Itachi's hips and lined himself up.

He pushed himself in, not giving Itachi a chance to adjust. Itachi cried out, gripping the bedsheets so tight that Shisui thought they'd tear. Itachi groaned as Shisui pulled out and thrust back in.

Shisui almost came on the spot. Itachi was so tight. He felt so good around Shisui's cock. He picked up his pace, moving faster and faster.

Itachi bit down on the pillow to try and stifle his moans. The pain had faded and all he felt was the pleasure. He felt amazing. He pushed his ass back, meeting Shisui's thrusts. He knew it would feel good, but not like this. This was more, better. It was beyond good. His entire body felt like it was on fire. His cock ached. He hadn't even realized how hard he was until now. Every time Shisui pushed into him, his cock brushed against the bed, making him cry out.

"Don't you dare cum." Shisui growled, reaching around to wrap his fingers around Itachi's throat. "Only good boys get that luxury."

"Oh god please, sir! I'll be good. I-" Itachi nearly screamed. Shisui hit a spot inside of him that made him see stars. "More! Please!"

Shisui slowed his thrusts, watching Itachi closely. Itachi whined and tried to fuck himself on Shisui's cock, but Shisui held him still.

"Sir, please~" He cried. "I'm sorry! Please just don't stop!"

Shisui started thrusting again, not because Itachi had asked, but because he was close.

Shisui closed his eyes. The sounds that came out of Itachi's mouth were absolutely beautiful. He swore he could cum just from listening to the boy. Every whimper, every moan, every scream, was so full of pure, unadulterated need. He could tell that Itachi was close as well. He knew he had to finish this before Itachi came. He knew that Itachi didn't know how to hold back. And he didn't want Itachi to cum. Whether or not Itachi enjoyed this mattered little to Shisui. He cared only for his own pleasure, that's what this was all about. Itachi had begged to help him and that's what he would do. Shisui would use the boy until he was content. He had wanted Itachi's first time to be more special, but this was his own fault. Itachi had asked for it.

His thrusts became sloppy and erratic. He tangled his fingers in Itachi's hair and pulled him up so that Itachi's back was pressed against this stomach. He moved his other hand around to Itachi's throat, squeezing harder and harder as he came closer to his release.

Itachi let out a particularly loud moan. He could hear the need in it. And that's what sent Shisui over the edge. He released inside of the boy, filling him with his seed.

Itachi cried out, falling back against Shisui. Shisui pulled out, but kept his grip on Itachi's throat. Itachi was panting. He was trying to say something but all that came out was incoherent nonsense. He couldn't think straight. He was trembling.

Shisui leaned into his ear, breathing heavily. "Now, my little slut, I'm going to tell you how things are going to be....We're going home tomorrow. Don't worry about the mission, I'll come up with something to tell them. You are not to make a single sound until we get home. I don't want to hear your voice. I'm going to wake you up in the morning, you're going to get dressed, pack your things, and then we're are going leave. Do not speak to me. Do not even look at me. I am beyond angry with you, and I've yet to determine your punishment. You openly disobeyed me when I told you to stop. You pushed me far past my breaking point even after I warned you not to." Shisui whispered. "When we get home, you will not follow me. You will go back to your own house. I will come to you when I decide I want to. Do not come looking for me, do not try to find me. You will regret it. Nod if you understand."

Itachi gave a small nod. He didn't like it, but he knew he had to listen.

"And don't even think about touching yourself."

Itachi nodded again. Shisui released him and got up. He stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Itachi laid there, still panting. He stared at the bathroom door. He didn’t mean to make Shisui mad. He just wanted to help


	15. Darken

_Something was off. He couldn't figure out what, but something was definitely not right. Itachi was nearing his home, but it was eerily quiet. All of the street lights were out, and there was no one outside like there usually was._

_He approached the front door and went to open it, but it was already open. He entered the house and looked around. He didn't hear any talking like he normally did. None of the lights were on. He didn't smell food like he usually did either. It seemed as if there was no one home. And they should be. As far as he knew, there was nothing going on tonight that would warrant them not being home._

_Itachi activated his sharingan, making his way through the house slowly. The kitchen was empty, which was odd for this time of day. It was around dinner time, so his family should be around the table. Itachi entered the living room, which was empty as well. Itachi was confused. He wasn't sure where his family was. This isn't right._

_He swallowed hard and continued through the house. Every room was empty. The only room he hadn't checked yet was his own._

_He pushed the door open, freezing in place. Shisui stood there, covered in blood. The bodies of his parents lie on the ground at his feet. Sasuke sat in the corner, crying._

_There was blood everywhere. He was standing in it. He looked down at himself and suddenly he was covered in it too. He stared at Shisui, unable to breathe. He'd never seen this much blood in his life._

_He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. Shisui approached him, his sword in his hand. He brought the blood coated blade up to his face. He pointed to Sasuke. "He has to die, Itachi..."_

_Itachi shook his head._

_"You need to feel it. You need to feel the rush. I want you know how good it feels." Shisui told him, leaning in to kiss him softly. "Only then will you be ready."_

_He forced the blade into Itachi's hand, smearing blood across his pale skin. Itachi stared at it. He couldn't kill Sasuke._

_"Kill him, Itachi._ Now _." Shisui whispered against his lips. "So we can be together."_

_Shisui sounded annoyed. Itachi was taking too long._

_"I've already taken care of the rest of the clan. He's the only one left. All you have to do is take his life."_

_Itachi found himself slowly moving toward Sasuke against his will._

_"Please! I don't want to die!" Sasuke cried. "Itachi please!"_

Itachi sat up quickly, panting.

Another nightmare.

He hasn't had one in a while.

And this one was different from the rest of them. Shisui was in this one. Shisui is never in his nightmares. He's the one that keeps them away. But Shisui wasn't here. The other side of the bed was completely untouched.

Itachi looked around the room, seeing Shisui standing out on the balcony.

Itachi couldn't sleep alone. He hasn't slept alone since he started staying with Shisui. He stood up and walked over to where Shisui was standing, hoping that Shisui wouldn't get mad at him. Shisui turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed. "What is it?"

Itachi opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself, remembering Shisui's orders.

"You can speak."

"I know you're mad at me, sir, but I-I can't sleep alone. The nightmares come back when I'm alone."

"Come on." Shisui said, nodding. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

He took Itachi's hand and led him back to the bed. He laid down next to him, running his fingers through his hair.

Itachi fell asleep with his head buried in Shisui's chest. This felt right. Maybe Shisui wouldn't be mad at him anymore.

* * *

Itachi followed Shisui through the village gates. Itachi was some distance behind Shisui, walking silently. Shisui was still angry with him. Shisui didn't even talk to him aside from telling him to get up and get ready to leave, and to tell him what their story about how the mission went was.

They were on the way to speak with the head of the anbu black ops and the hokage about their mission. Shisui told him that that's the only time he's allowed to talk because he knew they'd talk to him.

Itachi felt bad. He didn't mean to make Shisui angry. He just wanted to help him. He didn't want to go home. He wanted to be with Shisui. If he went home that meant he had to deal with his father, who was no doubt angry about the fact that Itachi hadn't come home in a little over a month. And it also meant he'd have to sleep alone, so his nightmares would return.

He couldn't get the nightmare from the previous night out of his head. He knew Shisui would never kill his family, and would never force him to kill Sasuke, but he couldn't help but worry. He knew that the nightmare was fueled but what Shisui had said about killing people. He wasn't sure why he even had the nightmare in the first place. Shisui was never in his nightmares. He shouldn't be. He was the one who kept them at bay so it made no sense to Itachi.

They walked up the steps to the Hokage's office and Shisui knocked on the door. It opened after a few seconds.

The two stepped inside, greeting the Hokage.

"Shisui, Itachi...You are back earlier than expected." The Hokage spoke. "Did something go wrong?"

"Yes." Shisui spoke. "We followed this spy to a small town outside of the hidden mist village. We're not really sure what he was doing, but he had rented a room at an inn there, he rarely left. We rented a room directly across the street so we could keep watch. We took turns, and one night, while Itachi was on watch, he was jumped from behind and knocked out. I found Itachi a few hours later when I awoke. We checked the inn, and he was gone. We stayed in town a few more days to see if we could find anything out, but it was inconclusive. We heard no news. So we decided to return home."

The hokage sighed. "Damn it. Itachi, can you confirm this?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, sir. Shisui speaks the truth. I was attacked. It was my fault he got away, I let my guard down."

"It's neither of your faults. You didn't know what to expect. I don't think anything will come of it." He said. "But Shisui, while your here, I need to speak with you alone."

Shisui nodded and stepped forward. The Hokage led Shisui out of Itachi's line of sight.

Once they were far enough away, the Hokage turned to Shisui. "I have a task for you. It's something that only you, and you alone can carry out. It will require you to be... _away_...for a while."

"What is it?"

"The only reason I'm putting this task on you is because you are the only Uchiha with no direct bloodline ties to any of the Uchiha here, and that the only real connection you have is to Itachi. And you are by far the strongest member of your clan." He explained. "We have reason to believe that the spy was of Uchiha blood, that the Uchiha are planning a coup d'etat to overthrow me and the village. I need you to spy on them, find out what they're planning. You cannot be found out, so you must spy from the shadows. Tell them you are going on a long solo mission. Expect it to take a few months to gather all of the information, and then stop it in any way you have to."

"What? There's no way that spy was an Uchiha. And why would they plan a coup? There's no reason to."

"I'm not sure, Shisui. That's why I'm asking you to look into it." He spoke. "Pay close attention to Itachi and his family. I have a feeling that they play a huge part in this."

"Itachi knows nothing. I can already tell you that. If he did, he'd tell me. Besides he's been staying with me. He hasn't been home in over a month."

"Still, just watch. Find out what they're planning and report it to me as you see fit. Do what you have to do to protect this village."

"When do I start?"

"Tonight."

Shisui sighed. "Yes, sir."

Shisui walked away from the Hokage and headed back to where Itachi was.

"Let's go. I need to speak with you." Shisui said, loud enough for only Itachi to hear.

Itachi nodded and followed Shisui outside. They walked for a while, eventually stopping by the river.

Shisui sat down. "There's been a change of plans....I have to leave for a while."

Itachi looked at him.

"You can speak. It's fine."

"What do you mean you have to leave?"

"I'm sorry, Itachi, but I have to go on a long mission alone. I'll be gone for a couple months at least."

"Why do you have to go alone? Why can't I come? You can't leave for that long..." Itachi whispered.

"I'm the only one who can do it. I have to. I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to leave you behind. You'll be okay, I promise."

"What is it anyway? And when do you leave?"

"I can't tell you what it is. But I have to leave tonight."

"Shisui- Sir, no. You can't leave. Not for that long. I can't stay home for that long. And I can't sleep unless your there." He spoke, tears threatening to spill. "It's bad enough that you're mad at me. You can't you leave me..."

"It's fine. You can use my name for now. And it's not like I'm leaving forever. It's just a few months. I'm sorry. You'll be okay though. I'm sure they'll still send you out on missions. You won't have to be home all the time. Why are you so worried about going home, anyway? Did something happen? And I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated. It'll be okay."

"I know but that's so long. And not really, no, but my father, his temper has just gotten worse over the last few months. If I go home, he's gonna be mad at me for not coming home for so long. He always gets mad when I go on long missions. It's one less person in the house for him to yell at."

That struck Shisui as odd. It made him think about what the Hokage said they were planning, and how Itachi's family would play a big part. It would make sense for Fugaku's temper to be out of control with the stress of planning to overthrow the Hokage.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise. As for your father, just try your best to avoid him." Shisui spoke. He kissed Itachi, wiping the boy's tears away with his thumb. "I love you, Itachi. Whatever happens, whatever I might do, I want you to know that."

Itachi nodded, wiping at his eyes. "I-I love you too."

Shisui stood up, hugging Itachi. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He pulled away and walked off, leaving Itachi there alone. Itachi waited until Shisui was out of sight before dropping down to the ground. He started crying quietly, pulling his knees up to his chest. 

Shisui couldn't just abandon him like this. He couldn't just leave for a few months. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to deal with his father. He didn't want to be alone. This wasn't fair. He didn't understand why he couldn't go with Shisui. What was so special about this mission? Why could only Shisui handle it?

He fell back on the grass, staring up at the sky. He could hear the sound of the river flowing, and it somewhat relaxed him.

He should probably go home soon. It was getting late. The sun was starting to go down.

He could just not go home. His parents didn't know he was back. He could just stay out here. That wasn't a good idea though. It's gonna get cold. 

Once the sun had set fully, Itachi got to his feet. He wiped his eyes and started walking towards his house. When he got to the door, he pushed it open. He slipped his shoes off and entered the kitchen. 

"Itachi!" His mother came over to hug him. 

He hugged her softly. "Hi, mother."

"I haven't seen you in so long. Please tell me you're home for a while." 

Itachi nodded. "Yes. I should be for a while."

"Oh good! Sit down, I just finished making dinner!"

Itachi nodded and sat down. He looked up as Sasuke came into the room. "Big brother, you're home!"

Itachi just nodded. 

"Are you going to be home for a while?"

He nodded again.

"Does that mean you can help me train tomorrow?"

"Yes, I suppo-"

"Itachi. A word." His father came into the room, standing in the doorway.

"Yes, father." Itachi stood up and followed after his father. 

He followed his father down the hall and into his office. 

"Sit."

Itachi sat down, keeping his head down. He knew he was about to get yelled at. His father didn't sit down. He just stared him down. 

"Where have you been?" 

"I've had missions."

"You're telling me you've been on missions constantly for the last month and a half?"

Itachi hesitated. He couldn't lie to his father. He somehow always knew. "Well...no. I-I've been staying with Shisui."

"Why?"

"Him and I are a team. It just makes sense. We've been leaving and coming back at all hours of the night. I didn't want to wake you or mother or Sasuke. I'm sorry, father."

His father scoffed. "You just leave for that long and expect me to just be okay with it?"

"I'm sorry, father, really. I was just trying to be considerate of all of you." Itachi spoke. "I really don't see the problem...I can handle myself."

His father was silent for a while. Itachi didn't dare look up at his father. 

Itachi only spotted it a split second before it happened. His father struck him, sending him to the floor. Itachi gasped, holding his hand over his mouth. Blood dripped through his fingers and onto the floor. 

"I don't want you around Shisui anymore. He's clearly a bad influence on you."

"What?"

"Before you started hanging around him, you wouldn't dare talk back to me. Now, it seems like that's all you want to do."

Itachi sat up. He was confused. He didn't see how he'd talked back. He didn't say anything wrong. "I didn't talk back. I didn't do anything wrong."

His father slapped him again.

"Go to your room, Itachi. Don't come out until I say." He growled. "I'm not dealing with your mouth."

Itachi didn't even know what he did wrong. He didn't say anything wrong. He was confused. He just wanted Shisui to come back home. If this is how his father had become, then he didn't want to deal with it. 

Itachi felt like he could still sense Shisui nearby, but he knew he was wrong. Shisui wasn't there. He was off on some stupid mission, far away from here. 

He couldn't wait for Shisui to come back.


	16. Vale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just realized i never actually explained it, but this is an au where shisui doesn't die and he is tasked with stoping the coup instead of Itachi, in case it wasn't really clear

Shisui was seething. He'd left a bird on the edge of the window in Fugaku's office, so he could see and hear everything that went on in there. He'd seen the way he'd just treated Itachi. He wished he could do something. He could see how hurt and confused Itachi was when he took off. He wanted to be with Itachi, to lay by him and tell him that things would be okay, but he didn't know that they would be.

Fugaku had spoken of a meeting earlier in the day, a secret meeting. Shisui had sent the same bird to follow after him. He had left a bird with each of the important members of the Uchiha clan.

He sat in his bedroom on the floor, his eyes closed in a trance-like state. He saw everything that his birds saw, but he focused solely on Fugaku. It was late at night when the man left his house and ventured into the surrounding woods. He was alone and carried no weapons. He stopped when he reached a tree. He looked up as someone jumped down from within.

"We will be set to put the plan in motion in about a month."

Fugaku nodded. "Good. Itachi has just returned. I think it would be wise to bring him into it. His skills may prove valuable."

"Is that a good idea? He is loyal to the village."

"Yes, but he is more loyal to his family. I can convince him to help."

The other person nodded. "With Itachi on our side, our chances of failing are slim."

"Exactly."

"You should give it a few days. Don't tell him anything yet. Make sure he's loyal to his family before you say anything. We don't want to risk him telling anyone before we know exactly where his loyalties lie."

"Alright. I'll make sure."

The two went their separate ways. Shisui sent a bird to follow after the other man. He clearly played a big part in this as well.

He decided to send another bird to Itachi, just so he could watch over him really. He knew Itachi didn't have a part in this, but he hoped the bird might make him feel a little better. Itachi would be able to tell it was Shisui's, and he hoped it would at least make him miss Shisui a little less.

The bird landed on the windowsill and looked at Itachi. Itachi was sitting on his bed, reading a book. He glanced up at the bird, raising an eyebrow.

He got up walked over to the window. He stared at the bird for a few minutes before smiling. "Shisui sent you, didn't he? You feel like him."

Shisui felt bad for leaving Itachi alone like that. But Itachi couldn't be part of this mission. He wouldn't be able to do it. 

Shisui opened his eyes and stood from where he was sitting. It was too late to go report anything to the Hokage, so that would have to wait until morning.

Shisui knew what this mission could mean, how badly it could end. Worst case, he'd have to kill his entire clan, and would never be able to return to the village. Best case, he would be able to find a way to stop it with minimal bloodshed. It was too early to tell which way it could go. He desperately hoped it wouldn't be the first option. He wouldn't be able to bring himself to hurt Itachi, and even if he let Itachi live, he knew the boy would never forgive him.

There had to be a way to stop it. He doubted they listen to anything anyone had to say. But it was still to soon to tell. It's only been one day.

Shisui called the bird that was with Itachi back to him. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a quick note. He attached it to the bird and sent it back.

He laid down on the bed and was out within minutes. He knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep for a while after this.

* * *

The bird landed on the window again. Itachi saw the paper attached to it. He got up and walked over to the bird. He carefully to the folded paper and opened it up.

_Itachi-_

_I'm sorry I had to leave you on such short notice. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but judging by today's events, it'll probably be a while longer._

_I know you can't sleep unless I'm there, so I'm leaving this bird with you. I know it's not much, and I don't know if it'll help you, but it's presence should feel something like my own. I can also hear and see anything that the bird does, so if you need me, I'll hear you and do what I can from here. It will never leave your side._

_And as I told you before I left, I love you, and I always will. I need you to remember that no matter what might happen or what I might do. I'll see you soon._

_~Shisui_

Itachi smiled and looked up at the bird. "I love you too. Please, just make it home safe."

Itachi was worried that something bad might happen because of Shisui's words. "No matter what might happen or what I might do." He wasn't really sure what it meant, but he hoped it wasn't anything serious. He didn't want anything bad to happen.

Itachi grabbed his book and sat back down on his bed. It was late, and he was tired but he didn't want to sleep. He didn't know if he'd have another nightmare and he didn't want to deal with it if he did.

He was hungry. He doubted anyone would be in the kitchen now. It was almost midnight. He could probably just grab something to eat and not have to deal with talking to anyone.

There was a knock at the door. Itachi raised an eyebrow but answered. "It's open."

The door opened and Sasuke stepped into the room.

"What are you doing up? It's late." Itachi asked.

Sasuke walked over and sat on the bed. "I can't sleep. Mother and father are arguing."

Itachi didn't hear them, but it made sense that Sasuke did because his room was right next to theirs.

"Why are they arguing?"

"I don't know. Something about father having a ridiculous idea."

"Why don't you sleep in here then? I'm not very tired. You can use my bed."

Sasuke nodded and laid down.

"What happened to your face?" Sasuke asked. "And how come you have bandages everywhere? Did you get hurt?"

"I got hurt on my mission. It's nothing. Just get some sleep, Sasuke. You have school tomorrow."

"Did father hit you?"

Itachi looked over at Sasuke. "No. Why?"

"Oh. I was just wondering."

"Has he hit you?"

Sasuke was silent for a minute. "N-no."

Itachi placed his book down and turned completely towards his younger brother. "Don't lie to me, Sasuke. I can always tell."

Sasuke sighed. "Okay. Yeah. He has."

Itachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To get something to eat." Itachi said coldly. "Go to sleep."

Itachi left the room. He didn't care that his father had hit him. But now that he knows for sure that his father dared lay his hands on Sasuke, Itachi was beyond angry. He was one thing, he was older and could handle it, but Sasuke getting hurt was where he drew the line. He was young and still innocent. He didn't deserve it. He did nothing wrong. Itachi didn't care. He didn't care that his parents were in the middle of a fight. He didn't care how late it was. And he didn't care what might happen. He was no longer hungry, and his tiredness was forgotten. All he could feel now was anger towards his father.

He walked across the house to his parents bedroom. The door was wide open and his mother sat on the bed. He looked at her. She held a hand over her cheek. He could see blood on her lips when she gave him a soft smile.

He hit her too.

She shook her head, giving Itachi a knowing glance. "No, Itachi."

He ignored her and kept walking. What right did he have?

Itachi didn't know he'd gotten so bad while he was away, but now that he's here, he's going to do something about it.

He didn't honestly know if confronting his father was a good idea. He wanted to, but he was already injured. If his father got physical, he didn't really know if he'd be able to take it. He was angry and he hated his father with every fibre of his being, but he knew he was weak at the current moment.

Maybe he'd just go stay at Shisui's. He wasn't there anyway. No one would notice him leave. And he liked Shisui's place better. It felt safe. It felt like home.

He went back up to his room. Sasuke was asleep, which was good because he didn't want to have to wait. He threw a few things in a bag and jumped up on the window ledge. The bird made a small noise, but followed Itachi as he jumped into the tree by his window and down to the ground.

He kept to the shadows until he got far enough away from his own house. He headed towards Shisui's home on the other side of the compound.

He liked sleeping at Shisui's. It was nice there. And his bed smelled like him.

He walked up to the door and pulled the key Shisui gave him out of his pocket. He hoped Shisui didn't mind him staying here while he was away. He didn't really see a problem with it. Shisui knows he doesn't like being at home anyway.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The light in the kitchen was on, which was odd, but Itachi shrugged it off. Shisui probably just forgot to turn it off before he left.

He went and turned it off before heading over to the bedroom. He grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open.

Itachi froze when he entered the room. Shisui was in his bed. He was asleep.

He was supposed to be away. He wasn't supposed to be here. Shisui told him he was going on some long, top secret solo mission. Did he just tell Itachi that to get rid of him? Was he lying? Did he just not want to be around Itachi anymore?

Itachi noticed a bunch of papers scattered all over the floor, covered in Shisui's messy handwriting.

He leaned down to pick one up.

_-What are they planning?_   
_-Who's involved?_   
_-Who's the one behind it?_   
_-Who did Fugaku meet with?_   
_-Why are they doing it?_

It was just a list of questions. What was he talking about? As far as Itachi knew, his father hadn't met anyone. He picked up another one.

_-Itachi doesn't know._   
_-Doubt Sasuke knows._   
_-One month._   
_-He wants Itachi to help (have to stop that from happening)  
_

It was just another list that made no sense to Itachi. What didn't he know? What didn't Sasuke know? What happens in one month? And who wanted him to help with what?

He grabbed a third one.

 _-Itachi says Fugaku's temper is worse. (makes sense. planning something like that would make him stressed and angry)_  
 _-What is the exact plan?_  
- _Why?_  
 _I really wish I understood what was going on here_

Itachi felt a rush of air and suddenly there was a blade at his throat. He gasped and dropped the papers.

He glanced at the bed. Shisui was no longer there. Shisui was behind him, digging his knife into the soft skin of Itachi's throat.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed.

Itachi hesitated, his sharingan spinning to life. Shisui sounded angry, defensive. Did he know it was Itachi? He had to have. "I-I just wanted to sleep here...I didn't-"

"Be quiet." Shisui ordered. "Sit down."

He pushed Itachi towards the bed.

Itachi sat down and looked up at Shisui. Shisui glared at Itachi.

"W-Why did you lie to me?" Itachi whispered.

"I didn't. Go home. You can't be here."

"You said you had to leave. But you didn't. I-I didn't know you were here. I don't understand what's going on."

"You don't need to understand. Go home, Itachi. This doesn't concern you."

"No! You hate me don't you? You lied to me because you don't want me around! You're mad at me." Itachi cried.

Shisui was taken aback by the boy's sudden outburst. "That's not true and you know it. I can't tell you why right now. Just go home."

"I'm sorry." Itachi breathed. "Please don't push me away. Please don't abandon me."

"Shut up. I'm not pushing you away and I'm not leaving you. I didn't think you'd come here. You shouldn't be here."

"I don't even know what's going on. Please, tell me something. I'm so confused. Please, Shisui. Why are you here? What's all that mean?"

"It has nothing to do with you. I can't tell you anything."

"All those papers say something about me, so it's obviously got something to do with me. Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry..."

"Go the fuck home, Itachi!" He yelled. "God, why can't you just leave things alone? You're so fucking annoying!"

Itachi stared at Shisui for a moment before he broke down in tears. He didn't understand. Why was Shisui being like this? Why did he lie? Why did he say he was going away? What do all those papers mean?

Shisui hated him. He was mad. Itachi just annoyed Shisui. This isn't fair. He didn't mean to annoy Shisui. He just wanted to sleep somewhere he felt safe. He didn't mean to make Shisui mad again. He didn't even know Shisui was here. It seems like that's the only thing he does right. All he does is make Shisui mad.

He heard the sound of Shisui's knife clattering on the ground. He was suddenly enveloped by Shisui's warm embrace.

"Don't cry. You did nothing wrong. I'm sorry I yelled at you. But I can't tell you anything right now. I'm sorry." He whispered. "You have to go home."

Shisui kissed the top of his head.

"Please...don't make me leave. Please. I won't tell anyone you're here. I don't want to be home. I won't even ask about what all that stuff means. Please, sir." Itachi begged. 

Shisui sighed. "Itachi..."

Itachi hugged him tightly. " _Please_. Don't make me leave. I'll do anything."

"Fine. You can sleep here. Just for tonight." Shisui finally spoke. 

"Thank you." He whispered. 

Shisui sat down on the bed and pulled Itachi close. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you. I was acting on orders."

"Why?" Itachi asked, wiping his eyes.

"Why what?"

"Why did you have to lie to me?"

"Because no one can know I'm here. I need to investigate something without anyone knowing I'm doing it. And if everyone thinks I'm away on a mission, no one will know what I'm doing."

"Oh. Why can't anyone know? Is whatever you're investigating that bad?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes. It's very bad. And if someone were to know, many lives would be in danger. Including yours, Sasuke's and my own...."

Itachi didn't answer. He really wanted to know what it was. 

He pulled away a little and brushed Itachi's hair out of his face. "Let me see you."

Itachi looked up. Shisui kissed him softly. He ran his thumb over Itachi's cheek. "This is going to bruise."

"Huh?"

"I saw him hit you. It's going to bruise." Shisui spoke.

"Oh. I'll be fine." Itachi shrugged.

He pulled Itachi down on the bed. "Come on. You need sleep. You've had a long day."

Itachi nodded and moved closer to Shisui. Shisui held onto him, brushing his fingers through his hair. 

Itachi fell asleep almost instantly, Shisui not far behind him.


	17. Flame

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go speak with the Hokage."

"Can I come?" Itachi asked.

"Absolutely not. He can't find out that you know I'm still here."

"Oh. Okay." He said. "I'll just wait here."

Shisui leaned down and kissed Itachi. "You should go home. Go spend some time with Sasuke. I'm sure he misses you."

"Sasuke is at school."

"So go see your mother."

"I don't want to see my father."

"He's not there." Shisui told him, kissing him again.

"How do you know?"

"I can see him. He's at the police station."

Itachi nodded. "Fine. I guess I can go see her. Can I sleep here again?"

Shisui stared at him for a moment. "I don't know if that's such a good idea..."

"Please?" Itachi asked. "I won't tell anyone you're here."

"I suppose." Shisui sighed.

"Thank you."

Shisui nodded, gave Itachi one last kiss, and walked out the door.

He headed towards the hokage's office, keeping to the rooftops and trees. He made it open and jumped through the open window.

The Hokage glanced over at him as he entered.

"It's not looking good." Shisui spoke, sitting down on the window ledge.

"What did you find out?"

"Well, they definitely are planning something. And they should be able to put it into motion within one month." Shisui explained. "Fugaku Uchiha met with one of the clan leaders last night. I'm not sure which one, but they spoke of being ready in a month, and then decided that they wanted to include Itachi in their plans."

"You found all of this out in one day?"

"Yes. They move quickly."

He nodded. "How are you finding all of this out?"

"I have them all under constant surveillance. A crow watching each of them. I can see and hear everything the crow does."

"Alright. Keep watching."

"I will." Shisui told him. "I have one request to make of you, though."

"Hmm?"

"Keep Itachi out on missions as much as possible. It's only a matter of time before he finds me. And I don't want him to get caught in the middle of this."

"I can do that. I was putting together a squad for him anyway."

"Who is it?" Shisui asked. "I know it's not really my place, but if he watches his squad die again, he might just lose his mind. It's affected him badly. He needs to be with someone strong."

"Well, as of right now, I only have him with Kakashi Hatake. I haven't been able to come up with anyone else who'd work well with them. But I didn't realize he was affected so badly."

Shisui ran a hand through his hair. "Again, not really my place, but I'd leave it at that. Kakashi can hold his own. And all Itachi really needs is one partner. He did better with just me than he ever did with multiple people."

"Alright. I'll have a mission ready for them later today."

"Okay good."

* * *

Itachi grabbed the clothes from his bag and put them on, before leaving to go back to his own house.

He walked down the road, heading towards his family's home.

He avoided contact with anyone on the way, not really in the mood for conversation. He was tired and he wished he could've gone with Shisui. He didn't really want to see his mother. There was nothing to really talk about. But Shisui wanted him to go talk to her, so he would.

He eventually reached the door, pushing it open. He kicked his shoes off, walking into the kitchen.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, his mother turned around. "Good morning, Itachi. Getting some early morning training in?"

"Uh, yeah. Something like that." He spoke.

She nodded. "Oh, have you seen Shisui? I needed to ask him something."

"He's away. On a mission. He, uh, won't be back like a month." Itachi said quickly.

"Oh, okay. It can wait."

She placed a plate down in front of Itachi and sat next to him.

"Thank you for not saying anything to your father last night."

"Yeah."

"I have to talk to you about something, Itachi. About your father."

Itachi slowly began to pick at the food. He wasn't super hungry, but he'd eat what he could. "What is it?"

"He's going to ask you to help him with something in a few days. I don't know exactly what he's going to ask you, but you have to say no. If you agree to help him, you'll end up dead." She explained. "That's why him and I were fighting last night. This idea he has is ridiculous and I don't want him to involve you."

Itachi thought back to Shisui's notes that were on the floor. They said something about how his father wanted him to help with something.

"What does he want help with?"

"I can't tell you exactly what it is, but you have to say no."

Itachi nodded. "Alright. I wouldn't help him with anything anyway."

"Okay, good." She spoke. "I have to head to the store. Do you want anything while I'm out?"

Itachi shook his head. "No. I'm alright."

Itachi sat there for a while after she left, just thinking.

She'd mentioned that his father wanted him to help with some "ridiculous idea", and Shisui's notes had said something about Fugaku wanting Itachi's help with something.

Itachi wasn't sure what either of them meant. What does he father want help with? And why would Itachi help him in the first place? Itachi pretty much hates him. He doesn't want to help him.

Itachi thought that maybe he'd risk going and looking at Shisui's notes again. Shisui would be mad at him but he wanted to know.

He got up and headed towards the door. He pulled his shoes on, but as he moved to open it, it was pushed open. His father stood there.

He stepped inside, eyeing Itachi. "Where's your mother?"

"Store."

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Hn. Of course."

He stepped past Itachi without another word, entering the house. Once his father was inside and away from him, he moved towards the door, but was stopped again.

He sighed, glancing at the ninja that stood in front of him.

"Itachi Uchiha, the Hokage wishes to see you."

"When?"

"As soon as possible."

Itachi nodded. "Very well."

Shisui's notes would have to wait.

The ninja departed and Itachi followed after him.

He wondered what the Hokage needed to see him for. Had Shisui told him that Itachi had found him? Was Shisui going to be there? He didn't think he had a mission or anything. He didn't even have a squad.

Maybe the Hokage would let him help with Shisui's mission.

He walked up the steps and knocked on the door to the Hokage's office, stepping inside.

He looked around, seeing only the Hokage there. Shisui wasn't there.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Itachi. I have a mission for you."

"A mission? I don't even have a team."

"I know." He spoke. "That's why I'm pairing you with Kakashi Hatake until Shisui returns."

Itachi nodded. So Shisui hasn't told him that Itachi knows.

"Oh. Okay." Itachi mumbled.

He didn't really want to go. It's not that he didn't like Kakashi or anything, he just didn't want to be away from Shisui.

"Whenever he gets here, I'll brief you on your mission. It's a fairly easy one, so don't worry."

Itachi nodded.

After a few long minutes, there was a knock at the door.

"It's open."

Kakashi stepped into the room and waved. "Sorry I'm late. I uh- I got lost."

The Hokage nodded. Itachi looked over at him.

"Okay, now that you're both here, this is your mission." He put two scrolls down on his desk. "All you have to do is transport these documents to the sand. They contain information that could be dangerous, should it fall into the wrong hands, so that's why I'm sending the two of you.”

Itachi nodded.

"Sounds easy enough." Kakashi spoke.

Itachi took the scrolls and looked at Kakashi.

"Meet me at the gate at dawn. We'll leave then." Kakashi told him.

"Alright."

They parted ways. Itachi headed towards Shisui's house. He wanted to see him before he left. And maybe take a look at his notes. 

Itachi wasn't sure why he was being sent on a mission. It's clear that whatever Shisui is investigating had something to do with the clan, so technically wouldn't they want everyone to be there. Unless this was Shisui's doing. Shisui might've asked the Hokage to send him away so he wouldn't get in the way or something.

He walked up to the door and unlocked it. He wasn't sure if Shisui was there, but he hoped he wasn't. He just needed a few minutes to look at Shisui's notes and commit them to memory.

"Sir?" He called.

He got no response so he walked into the bedroom. He heard the shower running. He looked over. He could see through the crack in the door that Shisui was in the shower, completely unaware of Itachi's presence.

Itachi looked around the room, trying to find where Shisui put the papers. He eventually found them on Shisui's desk, under a folder. He pulled them out and looked over them, activating his sharingan and burning the words into his memory.

He had to see if there was anything on them about what his father wanted his help with. Shisui had to know something.

He didn't see really anything that could give him an idea of what his father was trying to do.

"What are you doing, Itachi?"

He spun around, seeing Shisui standing there with his eyebrows raised.

"I-I...I just wanted some answers. And I thought you might have them." Itachi told him. "My mother, she said something about a plan my father has and how he wants me to help but I have to say no."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother told me that my father was going to ask me to help him with some ridiculous idea. And that I have to say no when he asks. If I help him, I'll end up dead. I don't know what he's planning. And then I remembered seeing something on your papers last night about him wanting my help with something so I thought that maybe you could tell me."

Shisui was silent for a few moments. "She's right. You can't help him."

"But what is it that he wants help with?"

"I don't know yet, Itachi."

"You have to know something! You can't just send me into this blind! I have no idea what's going on!" Itachi yelled.

"I can't tell you anything."

Itachi just stared at him. "Fine. Whatever. I have a mission to get ready for anyway."

Itachi left the house quickly, dropping the papers back on the desk as he left.

He headed towards his own house.

Whatever it was, it sounded bad. He didn't know what to do. Shisui and his mother didn't want him to help with whatever this was. But maybe he should. He didn't like his father but maybe he could just play along and pretend to help until he figured out what was going on. He could act as a double agent almost. If he were to get inside of whatever it was, he could give Shisui information. It would probably work.

He entered his house and went up to his room. He decided that he wasn't going to worry much about this until he absolutely had to. He was just going to go on his mission and not think about it.

He was tired and stressed out and he wanted to sleep at Shisui's. He figured Shisui was mad at him now though, because he'd given him an attitude and had gone looking through his stuff.

He glanced over at the bird on his window ledge. "Can you tell him that I'm sorry..."

The bird made a small noise but didn't move. Itachi figured that Shisui had heard it. He did say he can see and hear everything the bird does.

He sighed and grabbed his bag. He threw some clothes in it, along with some extra shuriken and kunai, some food pills, and the two scrolls that they had to deliver.

Itachi stood up and pulled his shirt off, tossing it in the laundry basket. He kicked his pants off and did the same. After sleeping with Shisui for a while, sleeping in only his underwear became a habit.

He turned the light off and laid in his bed. He pulled the blanket up around him, leaving the window open, despite how cold he was.

He didn't want to leave for that long. It was only about a week or so, but he didn't want to leave Shisui. He wanted to be with him. He didn't want to spend a week with Kakashi. Kakashi couldn't keep him from having nightmares or anything like Shisui could.

Maybe some time away will be good for him. It'll give him a chance to think about everything.

Itachi jumped when he felt the bed dip behind him. He spun around, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw Shisui.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He whispered.

"Oh. It's okay, sir." Itachi said, rolling over completely to face Shisui.

He kissed Itachi. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I yelled at you."

"It's okay. I know you're stressed." Shisui said. "I should be the one apologizing."

"Why?"

"Because..." He kissed Itachi softly. "I'm the one who requested you be sent out on a mission. And I know you don't want to go."

"Oh...Why do you want me to leave?"

"I just don't want you to get dragged into this. If I can't stop whatever is going on, it could end very, very badly."

Itachi just nodded.

Shisui smirked. "Is your door locked?"

Itachi shook his head. "No...Why?"

Shisui stood up and walked over to the door. He turned the lock and looked back to Itachi.

"What are you doing, sir?" Itachi asked.

He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning down to kiss Itachi.

"I wanted to apologize for how I've been." He whispered. "I've been preoccupied and I haven't had the chance to give you much attention."

He pushed the blanket aside and climbed on top of Itachi. He leaned over him and pressed small kisses the the boys chest and stomach.

"I wanted to apologize to you in the only way I know how to..."

He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of Itachi's underwear and pulled them down just enough.

Itachi gasped when Shisui wrapped his hand around his length. He stroked him slowly. Itachi didn't even know what was going on. He was thrown off by Shisui's sudden change in mood.

He leaned up by Itachi's ear. "Not only is this an apology, but a promise...Once this is all over, you'll get more. I'll give you all that you want and then some."

He pressed his lips to Itachi's before moving back down his body.

Itachi barely managed to stifle a moan as Shisui took him into his mouth. He shoved his fist in his mouth, biting down.

This felt absolutely wonderful. He loved this. Shisui was like a god. He was so good at this. The way he moved his mouth, the things he did with his tongue, it was perfect.

Itachi was on fire. He loved every second of it. Shisui's mouth was warm and wet and he felt so good.

He watched as Shisui bobbed his head up and down. He tangled his other hand in Shisui's messy hair, pulling slightly every time Shisui did something creative with his tongue.

Shisui took him all the way down, causing Itachi's hips to jerk. Shisui choked a little, but recovered quickly. He pulled off for a moment and glanced up at Itachi.

"Stay still, sweetheart."

Itachi nodded, groaning softly. "More."

"Hmm?"

"More...Please, sir."

Shisui smirked and took Itachi back into his mouth.

Itachi didn't think he'd last much longer. He loved this. He loved when Shisui touched him. 

“I-I— ah~” Itachi moaned, his grip on Shisui’s hair tightening. “I’m gonna...”

He whined, biting down on his fist again as he felt himself getting closer and closer.

Shisui took him all the way down, swallowing around him. Shisui groaned softly and the vibration from that was what finally pushed Itachi over the edge.

He cried out, muffling it as best he could. He released into Shisui’s mouth, panting softly.

Shisui pulled away and swallowed. Itachi just watched him come up to his face. He pressed his lips to Itachi’s, pushing his tongue inside. Itachi held onto Shisui as he kissed him roughly and passionately. He could taste himself on Shisui’s tongue and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t like it at least a little.

When Shisui pulled away, he pushed Itachi’s hair out of his face.

“Apology accepted.” Itachi whispered.

Shisui smiled and kissed his forehead. “Good boy. Get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you.”

“Stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”


	18. Evade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. my whole draft got deleted so i had to rewrite it

"I'll see you when you get back, okay? I love you." Shisui whispered, tucking Itachi's hair behind his ear.

"I love you too." Itachi muttered, hugging Shisui.

He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to be without Shisui for so long.

He leaned down and kissed Itachi. "It'll be okay."

Itachi nodded.

"Now, you should get going. Kakashi will be waiting for you." Shisui spoke. He made a few quick hand signs and looked over to the window. A crow flew in and landed on Shisui's shoulder. "She won't leave your side. If you need me, I'll hear."

Itachi nodded again. Shisui grabbed his chin and kissed him hard.

They parted ways and Itachi headed towards the village gates. The bird landed on his shoulder as he was walking.

Kakashi would most likely be late, as he usually was.

It was too early for anyone to be out yet. The sun was barely up. Itachi found that he enjoyed times like this. The village was peaceful at this hour. It wasn't busy like it normally was. There was no one rushing around and trying to get things done, there were no kids running around playing, the markets were empty, the lights were off. All that could be heard was the subtle chirping of the birds in the trees.

He reached the gate and looked around. Sure enough, Kakashi wasn't there yet. He leaned against the wall and watched the street in front of him. Knowing Kakashi, it would be at least another hour or two before he showed.

Itachi decided he may as well get comfortable. He would be waiting a while. He closed his eyes, tilting his head up.

Itachi wished that he could be going on this mission with Shisui. He liked being around Shisui more than anyone. Shisui made him happy, he made him feel safe.

"You ready?" He heard.

He opened his eyes. "Hm. You're not that late for once."

Kakashi waved. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was-"

"Save it." Itachi spoke. "Let's just go."

The two of them walked out of the village and down the road.

"It'll take about three days to make it to the sand. If we speed up, we can reach them about half a day faster." Itachi stated.

"Well, I'm i'm no rush, but if you want to get there faster, we can do that."

Itachi wanted to get there faster so he could get back faster and see Shisui. But maybe he did need some time to himself to think about everything.

"I'm not either."

They walked in silence for a while. Kakashi was reading some book and Itachi was thinking about Shisui.

Itachi could tell that this mission was going to be boring. Kakashi wasn't much of a talker and Itachi doesn't really enjoy talking to anyone except Shisui.

"What's with the bird?" Kakashi asked all of a sudden, nodding towards Itachi's shoulder.

Itachi hesitated. "Uh...It's Shisui's."

"I thought he was away or something."

"He is. I'm- I'm watching her while he's away."

He just nodded.

They continued in silence, Itachi's mind constantly wandering to Shisui. He missed him. Him and Shisui could always talk about something. Kakashi is too wrapped up in whatever that stupid book is to talk. Not that Itachi really wanted to talk to Kakashi; he was just bored and lonely.

Well, technically he could talk to Shisui though the bird, but it would be kind of awkward if he started talking at a bird. And Shisui can't actually answer him.

This was going to be a long mission.

* * *

Shisui laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing has really happened yet and he was bored. There have been no new meetings or updates. He couldn't go out because he was supposed to be away, so all he really could do was hang around his house. He didn't want to sleep because that's all he's been doing lately, and there wasn't much else to do without Itachi around.

He somewhat regretted having Itachi sent on a mission, but he knew it was for the best. He didn't want Itachi in the middle of this in case if turned bad.

He groaned and pulled himself to his feet. He walked out to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He stirred some sugar in and took a sip.

There was literally nothing to do. He never thought he'd be this bored.

He set the cup down and walked into the bathroom. He decided he'd just take a shower. He closed the door and started the shower, slowly stripping out of his clothes.

He stepped into the water, letting it fall down his back. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

He hated this. He hated the secrecy. He hated that fact that he had to sneak around and lie. He wished he never agreed to help with this. He didn't like it.

It was boring and stupid and annoying. Nothing even remotely interesting was going on. All he could do was sit in his house and sleep. It was bullshit. He wanted to go with Itachi on his mission. He should be the one with him, not Kakashi.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feel of one of his birds calling to him. He did a few quick hand signs and fell into a trance.

Within his mind's eye, he saw Fugaku standing in front of an anbu shinobi.

"You have to find him. He has to die before he find out anymore about our plan."

"He's supposedly away on a mission but we'll check his house." The masked shinobi spoke. Shisui didn't recognize the voice. "I don't know for sure that Shisui is feeding intel to the Hokage. It's just a rumor."

"Keep your voice down. He could have eyes on us now. He can't know that we're on to

him." Fugaku hissed. "Even if it is just a rumor, investigate him. See what you can find. We can't afford to have our plans exposed when we're this close. If he's there, I want him alive. He could be used as leverage."

The shinobi nodded and left.

It appeared that Shisui had come into the conversation a little late, but he'd heard all that he needed to. 

He needed to go, now. They were onto him. They knew he was spying on them. The clan must have informants close to the Hokage.

He forced himself out of the jutsu. It took a little longer than usual, but when he opened his eyes, he was on the floor of the shower.

He looked around, disoriented for a split second. He did it standing up. He must have fallen.

He shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. His side ached, but he ignored it. He must've hit it when he fell. He turned the water off and quickly got out of the shower.

He didn't have time to go grab anything. Judging by the scenery he saw, they were just a few minutes down the road from his house. It won't be long before someone is there.

He pulled on the same clothes he'd discarded just minutes before, when he suddenly heard a loud bang from within his house.

"Fuck..." He muttered to himself.

There were no windows in the bathroom. He couldn't get out. He could sense multiple presences. Three, maybe four men.

He had no weapons in here. His eyes bled red as he took a defensive stance and watched the door. He didn't know what would happen. He had to be ready for a fight.

"Search the bedroom." He heard whispered from just outside the door.

It was quiet for a moment before he heard the sound of a blade being drawn.

He heard them move closer to the door. He didn't even flinch when the door was kicked open. He just waited.

Three of them, all armed, stood before him.

"He's here." The one in front said. He recognized him as the one that was with Fugaku a little while ago.

Shisui didn't speak. He held his hands up, ready to fight.

He knew that without a weapon, this would be hard. He could take on three men with no problem ordinarily, but with no weapons, he knew this would be harder.

All of a sudden, the one on the left lunged at him, blade pointed at him.

Shisui just barely got our of the way, the blade grazing his wrist.

"We know you betrayed the clan, Shisui." He said, holding the other one back. "You're working with the Hokage, spying on us for him."

"I didn't betray anyone."

"Just come quietly. We just want to talk."

Shisui swallowed hard. "Fuck you and fuck the clan. I'd rather die than talk to you."

"...Now." The shinobi said quietly.

Shisui didn't know what he meant, but it didn't matter. He had to fight. He didn't want to die, but he wasn't going to go quietly. He'd do what he had to do.

The second one came at him at the same time the other one did. He dodged the two blades as best he could, only suffering minor cuts and scrapes. He kicked the one, causing him to fall. But before he could do anything else, the third one was behind him somehow. He grabbed Shisui and shoved him down to the floor.

"3...2...1...."

All of Shisui's strength left him abruptly. He wasn't sure what was going on. All he knew was that he could barely move. He tried to fight, but his body wouldn't do what he wanted it to do.

He didn't know how they got him so easily. It didn't make sense.

"You never were very bright, were you, Shisui?" He spoke. "We knew you were here. We planned this out already. And you did exactly what we expected you to do."

He cuffed Shisui's hands behind his back.

"You fell right into the trap. They distracted you just long enough for me to get behind you and neutralize your chakra."

Shisui was so caught up in trying to defend himself that he didn't notice how deliberate their moves were. They were trying to get him in the position he was in.

"Screw you." Shisui spat.

He pulled Shisui to his feet. 

“Come here! You gotta see this.” Someone said from the bedroom.

“Watch him.” The one that was holding Shisui ordered.

He let go of him and left the room. Shisui didn’t have a chance to move before the other two were holding him in place against the wall.

Shisui felt weak. He could barely hold himself up. If it weren’t for the hands on him, he probably would have fallen by now. All of his strength was gone.

After a few minutes, he came back into the room. He was reading through Shisui’s notes. “He knows more than we thought he did. This isn’t good. Knock him out and bring him.”

Shisui felt a hit to the back of his head just moments before everything went black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comment what you think is gonna happen
> 
> also, updates are gonna be a little slow probably bc i’m working on a big project rn and it’s taking a lot of my attention


	19. Bitter

"There's two ways we can do this, Shisui. The easy way, or the hard way." Fugaku explained, grabbing Shisui by his hair and forcing him to look up. "If you tell me what I want to know, you get to go free, and if you refuse to talk, well, let's just say it's going to hurt." ****

"Screw you." Shisui growled. ****

"You've made your decision, I see." He held a knife to Shisui's throat. "You're a stupid boy, you know that? All you have to do is tell me a few little things, and you can go back to your life." ****

"You won't let me go. I know that for a fact." Shisui spoke. "You said that I had to die, and then after you said that I could be used as leverage, remember?" ****

He narrowed his eyes. "How do you know I said that?" ****

Shisui smirked. "Because I'm everywhere. I hear everything. I see everything. How do you think I know so much about your little plan?" ****

He dug the knife into Shisui's throat. "What exactly do you know? Your notes were very vague. And how much does the Hokage know?" ****

"I'll say it again...Screw you." ****

He just nodded. He walked over to a table. He put the knife down and grabbed something else. Shisui couldn't see what it was. He held it behind his back as he moved back over to Shisui. ****

He grabbed Shisui by his chin. "This is your last chance, boy..." ****

Shisui smirked before spitting in his face. ****

Without any warning, a violent shock coursed through Shisui's body, and he let out an agonizing scream. He heard the crackling of the weapon only after it had hit him. ****

He looked down at what Fugaku was holding, panting hard. The taser was lit up and crackling loudly. He brought it back up and held it near Shisui. He tried to fight and get away but he couldn't break free of his bindings. ****

"How much do you know?" ****

"Fuck...you." ****

It came into contact with Shisui's skin again. He let out another cry. ****

He turned it off and put it in his pocket. He went back over to the table. Shisui watched him pick up a pair of scissors and walk back over. He grabbed the collar of Shisui's shirt and cut down the middle of it. ****

"You can do whatever you want. I won't tell you anything." Shisui panted. "I've been trained to endure a lot worse than this." ****

He pushed his t-shirt aside, exposing his bare chest. ****

"That's fine. We have all the time in the world." ****

He reached down to tighten the ropes that kept Shisui's hands tied down on the arms of the chair. ****

"I'll break you. Don't worry." ****

Shisui didn't answer. ****

He pulled the taser from his pocket once again and switched it on. Shisui stared at the electric current that flowed through the prongs. He closed his eyes, waiting for the moment it would make contact. ****

He forcibly suppressed a scream, letting out a deep groan instead. His entire body tensed this time. His breath caught in his lungs. It was like his lungs just froze. He choked on air as he shook. ****

"That's what happens when I shock your phrenic nerve. The nerve is what regulates your breathing." He explained. "It hurts, doesn't it?...I wonder what'll happen if I shock your heart..." ****

He slowly began to recover from the shock, his breathing going back to normal. ****

Shisui tried to pull his hands free, but the ropes were too tight. ****

"Now, how much do you know, Shisui?” ****

Shisui groaned softly. “I’m not telling you anything.” ****

“Hmm.” He said, turning his back to Shisui. “Maybe we need to take it up a notch. Maybe this just isn’t hurting you enough.” ****

He picked something else up off the table. ****

“Maybe this will loosen your tongue...” ****

Shisui’s eyes fell on the weapon in Fugaku’s hand. It was a cat o’ nine, made with barbed wire. Shisui had never endured this before, but he was ready. He could handle it. He’d be fine. ****

He raised his hand, pulling the whip back, before striking. It hit Shisui’s stomach, eliciting a pained cry and creating deep bloody gashes. ****

He hit him again and again, until his stomach was littered with painful bloody cuts and welts. Shisui’s fingers were bloody from digging them into the edge of the chair. His jaw ached from gritting his teeth. ****

"How much do you know?" He asked again. ****

Shisui didn't answer. He just stared at him, breathing heavily. ****

"Still no answer, huh?" ****

He grabbed Shisui by his hair and punched him in the mouth. Shisui fell back into the chair. He bared his teeth and spit blood at Fugaku. ****

Fugaku wiped his face. He glared at Shisui. Shisui could almost see the anger radiating off of him. ****

Shisui tried to anticipate what would come next. Fugaku just stood there. He was seething. He looked like he wanted to kill Shisui. ****

He grabbed the knife off the table and slowly approached Shisui. He grabbed him by his throat, squeezing tightly. Shisui could feel the sharp point of the blade digging into his ribcage. He grunted, trying to shift away from the knife. He knew Fugaku would kill him without hesitation. "I'm going to say it one time and one time only: I will kill you right here and now if you don't tell me what I want to know." ****

Shisui gritted his teeth. "So kill me. I'm not telling you shit." ****

He just nodded. ****

He dug the blade in deeper, drawing blood. ****

"That's it? You're just going to die?" He asked, driving the blade into Shisui's abdomen. He gasped, his eyes going wide. "You'd rather die than tell me what you know?" ****

"Yes. I-I won't let you go through with this. I'll die if I have to." Shisui choked. "I'd give my life...if it means that everyone else will survive. What's one insignificant life matter when it comes to saving hundreds of others? I-If I fail to stop your plan, the entire clan will be slaughtered. And I’d give my life if it means that doesn’t happen. So yes, I'd rather die than help you get closer to finishing this. I’ll make this harder than ever for you." ****

* * *

"It's getting late. Should we stop?" Itachi asked, glancing back at Kakashi. ****

"We can, but there should be a small village a few miles away from here. If I remember correctly, there's an inn we can stay at for the night. It beats sleeping outside." ****

Itachi nodded. ****

"But, if we continue on our path, we'll reach the sand village by dawn." Kakashi told him. "If we stop, we won't get there until at least tomorrow night, if not later, depending on when we leave the town." ****

Itachi thought about it for a moment. As much as he wanted to be with Shisui, he really didn't want to go back to the village and face his father or deal with anything. "I'm in no rush. Besides, I smell rain. I'd rather not get caught in it." ****

"Alright. We're not too far off. We should reach the town within the hour." ****

Itachi turned back to the front. He glanced at the bird, which was now flying above his head. He sighed and looked back down. It was cold and he was tired. He didn't want to admit it, but he was ready to sleep. They'd been walking for almost two days and he was tired. He didn’t know if he’d be able to sleep. He didn’t want to sleep without Shisui. He hated sleeping without Shisui. He didn’t want to have a nightmare, especially not in front of Kakashi. He couldn’t let someone like Kakashi see him in such a vulnerable state. Itachi wondered what Shisui was doing right now. He was probably sleeping or something. Sometimes he likes going out and training late at night, so he could be doing that too. The only time he really could go out right now was at night, since everyone thought he was gone. Itachi felt bad for Shisui. The Hokage gave him some stupid mission and then made him lie about where he was and everything so he's just stuck in his house all alone and it's not fair.

Itachi wasn't really sure why Shisui was all he could think about. There were definitely some other things he could be worrying about, but no matter how hard he tried, his mind always drifted back to Shisui. He'd recently come to the realization that he genuinely loved Shisui. Shisui was the most important thing in his life, the only thing he really cared about, aside from Sasuke. He'd do anything for Shisui. He'd live for him, he'd die for him. He really, truly loves him. 

"Take a left up here."

"Huh?" Itachi looked around. They'd already made it to the town. He didn't even realize. "Oh, okay."

He took the turn like Kakashi had told him. 

"It's the building at the end, on the corner." He said, pointing in the direction of the building. 

Itachi nodded. 

He looked up at the moon. The moon was nearly at its peak. It was late. He was tired and he could tell that Kakashi was as well. He wasn't even reading his book anymore. They both just wanted to get to this inn and go to sleep.

They eventually made it to the inn and walked through the door. Itachi glanced at Kakashi before deciding that he was going to get his own room. He didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the same room as Kakashi with his nightmares. 

"I'm going to get my own room." Itachi said as they approached the counter.

Kakashi nodded. "Okay."

He went up the counter first. Itachi watched as he spoke to the receptionist at the counter. Itachi pulled some money out of his bag and waited for Kakashi to step aside. 

He walked up to the woman. "Hi, how can I help you?"

He smiled at her. "I just need a room for the night."

She wrote a few things down before handing him a key.

"Room 4B."

"Thank you."

He took the key and parted ways with Kakashi. He walked up the stairs to his room. He found the door and unlocked it, stepping inside.

He dropped his stuff on the bed, aside from one kunai, and immediately walked over to the windows. He closed and locked all of them, fearing a repeat of the last time he stayed at an inn. He headed back over to the door and locked that as well. Once he knew he was safe, he sat on the bed. He kicked his shoes off and closed his eyes for a moment.

He was tired, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. All he could think about was what happened on his last mission with Shisui. He was scared. He knew he was going to be awake all night, watching the windows and door. 

He was startled by a sudden tapping at the window. He looked over, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. It was the crow. He hadn't even realized that she'd left his shoulder. 

He stood and walked over to unlock the window. He let the crow in, immediately re-locking it.

He smiled at her. "Tell him I miss him."

The bird didn't do anything. It just sat there and stared at Itachi. 

Out of nowhere, the bird started making a lot of noise, almost like it was scared or panicking. It was looking around frantically, and began flying around the room.

And then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. It sat on the edge of the table across the room with its eyes closed.

Itachi just stared at it. Is that normal? Do birds usually do that? 

“Shisui?” He tried. 

The bird didn’t move. It didn’t even acknowledge that he spoke. Itachi was confused. He didn’t really understand what was going on. Maybe she was just tired. 

He laid back on the bed, not bothering to change. He closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep.


	20. Medicate

Shisui blinked a few times, trying to force his eyes to focus. His vision swam in and out of focus as he managed to pull himself into a sitting position. He looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was. He didn't remember how he got here, or what had happened, or why he was in so much pain. He looked down at himself. His shirt was torn in half and hanging off of his shoulders. There were small cuts all across his chest and stomach. He couldn't even see his skin under all the dried blood. There were dark, blistered burn marks in some spots as well. He pushed his shirt off and left it on the floor. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes.

He felt a pull in his head, one of his birds was calling to him. He made the hand sign, but it didn't work. He didn't have enough chakra. He figured that his body had used it all trying to heal itself.

It was bothering him. He couldn't remember what had happened. He was confused. The last thing he remembered was watching Itachi leave for his mission. What happened afterward though? How did he get here?

He jumped when he heard the sound of a door scraping against the floor. His body tensed, but he didn't open his eyes. He was too tired. He heard footsteps get closer and closer to him. Someone grabbed his chin.

"Wake up."

He shook Shisui's head a little. He forced his eyes open, just staring at the man. Once his eyes focused, he realized that it was Fugaku. Why was he here? What was he-

The past events suddenly came rushing back to Shisui. They knew about him. They knew he was spying on them. Fugaku had tortured him to find out how much he knew. That's why he was here. He still didn't know where here was though.

"Ah, there he is..." He spoke. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Thought you were dead for a few there."

Shisui didn't answer him. He couldn't make his mouth move.

"You ready to talk?"

He swallowed hard and shook his head.

He let go of Shisui and kicked him in the side. "You stupid bitch. You'll die at this rate. You've got a few more days at most. Why don't you just tell me what I need to know?"

"So I'll die then." Shisui managed. 

He didn't necessarily want to die, but it was inevitable. He knew that it would happen sooner or later. He wished that he could see Itachi one last time though.

"I wish I understood you, Shisui. If I were in your place, I'd tell you what I knew so I could go home alive." He spoke. "It doesn't make sense to me."

"Because I refuse to help you in any way, even if it's just some information. I can't let you go through with this."

"For now."

Shisui raised an eyebrow.

"You refuse to help for now. I just haven't found the thing that will make you cave yet. You just haven't hit your breaking point."

He squatted down in front of Shisui.

"Clearly physical pain doesn't affect you. But maybe a different type of pain will." He spoke.

Shisui's body tensed. "I won't tell you anything. You can't break me."

He kicked him again. Shisui was filled with a sudden urge to fight. He couldn't just sit there and let this happen. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try.

He looked up at Fugaku and smirked. He started to make the hand signs for the fireball justu, but before he could get past the first one, his hand was under Fugaku's foot. He cried out.

"That's bold. Do you really think you can fight back?" He asked, pressing down harder. "It's going to be hard for you to fight me with your chakra cut off, though, huh?"

So that's why Shisui's jutsu didn't work earlier. They managed to somehow stop his chakra flow.

He lifted his foot and stomped down on Shisui's hand as hard as he could. Shisui let out an agonized scream. He felt the bones in his hand break.

He groaned and tried to pull his hand away. It hurt. He could handle it though. He had to. He's had broken bones before.

He grabbed Shisui by his hair and pulled him up to his knees. He dragged him over to the corner and tied his hands behind his back. He was panting, small groans slipping past his lips.

Shisui groaned loudly again, the pressure of the rope on his broken hand putting him in more pain than he already was. He gritted his teeth.

"Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

"No." Shisui grunted.

He reached into his pocket and pulled a length of black fabric. He tied it over Shisui's eyes before Shisui could do anything.

"What are you-"

"You aren't impacted by physical pain. I shocked you, whipped you, stabbed you...I beat you and broke your hand, but you won't cave. So I've decided to use a different method. One that involves a different type of pain..." He explained.

Shisui heard him moving around the room. He could hear the footsteps behind him, and then on his left. He was beginning to panic a little. He tried not to show it. He didn't like not being able to see.

He jumped when something covered his ears, blocking out all sound. He froze up, his eyes going wide. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear.

He'd never been through this before. This, he wasn't trained for. He was trained to endure all kinds of physical torture, but this was different. This wasn't physical torture. This was psychological torture. His mind was strong though. He could handle this. This was nothing. He couldn't panic. He couldn't let himself break this easily. He would be okay. He had to be.

He felt a hand on his throat, a small stabbing sensation. A needle. He gasped and flinched away. His breathing was shaky and so was he. He knew his panic was visible. His eyes were his strongest weapon and with them covered, he was weak and powerless. Shisui didn't fear much, but his biggest fear was being unable to see. His body was beginning to go numb. He couldn't feel anything. It must've been whatever was in that needle.

This feeling, the reason it was affecting him so badly was because of something that had happened to him when he was a child. It reminded him of that situation. It terrified him. And he had to try with everything in him to keep his fear hidden.

When Shisui was around seven years old, he had been on a mission. He may have been young, but he was already a powerful shinobi, so they thought it would be a good idea to send him on an S-rank mission. But because of his age, his power had its limits. He had been surrounded by enemy ninja. He couldn't fight them all off. He'd been captured by them. They'd wanted to use him as a weapon. They knew he was an Uchiha and they knew of how powerful his sharingan was. For nearly four months, he was held captive. He spent the majority of the time blindfolded, so he couldn't use his eyes against his captors. The had kept him tied up in a dirty, cold basement. The only time he wasn't blindfolded was when they were forcing him to attack or kill someone. He never saw any of them, but he felt them. He felt their eyes on him, and eventually their hands too. He finally escaped one day when one of them let their guard down. The things he was forced to endure and the things he was forced to do still haunt him, and those long and painful four months, are why he fears being unable to see.

He kept telling himself over and over that this was a different situation. Yes, he was a prisoner, and yes, he was being tortured, but Fugaku just wanted information. He wasn't planning to use Shisui as a weapon or force him to kill people. He knew he wasn't going to be here for four months. He'd be lucky if he survived another week. Fugaku wasn't trying to keep him alive, he didn't care. This was different. He couldn't let himself panic.

* * *

It was early the next evening when they finally reached the sand village. The desert had been hot and unforgiving, but they'd made it through. They passed through the entrance, heading in the direction of the Kazekage's office.

Itachi was excited to finally be able to go home, though they'd probably end up staying the night here. He missed Shisui. Shisui's bird sat on his shoulder. The bird had been acting odd ever since it first freaked out for whatever reason. It just stays asleep on Itachi's shoulder and only moves occasionally. Every so often, it would wake up, fly around and make noise, like it was looking for something, and then go right back to its spot on his shoulder. He would have to ask Shisui about it once he got back.

The two eventually reached their destination, entering the building. They were stopped before they could go up the stairs. "Can I help you?"

"We're from the leaf village. We have documents for the Kazekage." Kakashi spoke.

"The Kazekage is feeling under the weather right now. He is not taking visitors at the moment. I can give him the documents."

Itachi pulled the scrolls from his bag and handed them over.

"Thank you." The man spoke.

Kakashi and Itachi left the building. "It's still early. Do you want to start heading back now, or stay the night?"

"Just stay the night. There's no point in leaving now." Itachi responded.

Kakashi nodded. "Let's go find an inn then."

They wandered the streets of the sand village, before finally coming across an inn a few blocks away from where they had been.

They walked inside. "Same room or separate?"

Itachi glanced at him. "Same, I guess."

Kakashi got the room key and they went up. Itachi chose the bed farthest away from the door and put his bag down on the bed. He immediately went over to the windows and locked them both.

"You good?" Kakashi asked.

Itachi looked over. "Huh? Oh yeah."

He just nodded.

"We passed a bar on the way here and I was gonna go. You coming?"

Itachi shook his head.

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"I'm alright. I don't really like bars."

Kakashi sighed and stood from where he was sitting. "You need to loosen up a little, Itachi. Come on. Have some fun."

Itachi sighed. He may as well. He had nothing better to do, and it would be a good distraction. "Fine. Only for a little while."

"Alright. Let me just change and then we can go."

Itachi nodded and sat down. He figured that maybe he should change too. His clothes were dirty from walking through the desert. He pulled his bag into his lap and grabbed a clean set of clothes. He waited until Kakashi was done in the bathroom and then he went in.

He put his clothes on the counter and began to strip down. He pulled his new clothes on and grabbed a cloth from the counter. He wet it and used it to wipe the dirt from his face. He quickly fixed his hair and left the bathroom.

Kakashi was waiting for him by the door. He grabbed some money and put it in his pocket, before following Kakashi out the door. They walked down the road in silence. Itachi remembered seeing the bar as well. It was literally right down the road from the inn.

Itachi wasn't a big fan of bars. He found them to be rather gross and the people there were usually obnoxious. They all smelled like they took a bath in sake, vomit, and sweat. And it was always loud. The music usually gave him a headache. He didn't like alcohol much either, but he could tolerate it in small amounts. But he figured he'd get out and try to distract himself from everything. Even if it was disgusting.

Kakashi pushed the door open, holding it open for Itachi. As soon as he stepped inside, the smell-- and sound-- hit him. The music was so loud, he couldn't hear himself think, and the smell made him want to vomit. Nonetheless, Itachi followed him inside and up to the bar. Itachi stood a few steps back while Kakashi ordered two of something. Itachi didn't hear what he said, but a few minutes later, the bartender placed two glass down.

Itachi picked it up and looked at it.

"Rum." Kakashi shouted, the music drowning his voice out a little.

Itachi just nodded and sipped it. It was actually pretty good. It wasn't bitter like most alcohol. It was sweet. Itachi liked sweet stuff. He finished the drink and placed the glass down.

"You like that?" He asked.

Itachi nodded. "Yeah, actually."

Kakashi signaled to the bartender and he came over. He filled Itachi's glass and pushed it back to him.

"Thank you." Itachi spoke.

Itachi rubbed his temples, the loud thumping of the music starting to get to him. Or maybe it was the rum. He wasn't sure. He glanced over at Kakashi, who was drinking something straight out of the bottle.

"C'mon let's dance."

"Huh?"

"Let's dance." Kakashi said, grabbing Itachi's arm.

"Uh, I don't really dance..."

"So? Neither do I, but it'll be fun."

Itachi sighed and allowed Kakashi to pull him into the crowd of people. He stood there, holding his drink and moving his hips slightly. Kakashi was dancing with some girl, occasionally drinking from the bottle he still held.

Some guy stepped in front of Itachi, placing a hand on his hip. "Hey there, beautiful."

Itachi raised an eyebrow and removed the man's hand from his body. "No."

"Aw, come on, baby. Don't be that way." He slurred, leaning in a little to close to Itachi's face. He brushed Itachi's hair out of the way. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be dancing all by herself."

"Um, I'm not a-" He jumped when the man grabbed his ass. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He whispered in Itachi's ear. He hooked a finger under his chin and softly kissed Itachi's lips.

Itachi shoved him back hard, his eyes bleeding red. "Don't fucking touch me."

He gave Itachi a weird look and threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. Your loss."

Itachi rolled his eyes and finished his drink. He looked at the cup for a moment before deciding he wanted another one. He was starting to feel a little tipsy, but he'd be fine. It wasn't that bad yet. This would be his last drink. He headed back to the bar and found the bartender.

"Another?" He asked.

Itachi nodded, watching the bartender fill a cup and slide it over. He picked it up and put some money in its place.

He headed back into the crowd, trying to locate Kakashi. He eventually found him, dancing on his own. When he saw Itachi, he moved towards him. "See? I told you it'd be fun!"

Itachi just nodded. "Yeah. Fun."

He felt oddly calm, kind of like he was floating. It felt good. His thoughts were foggy and his body was on fire, and he liked it. He stumbled a little as he tried to move to the beat of the music.

He wanted another drink. He looked at Kakashi before pointing at the bottle the man still had. "What's that?"

"Sake. You want some?"

Itachi shrugged and nodded. He didn't usually like sake, but he wanted something. Kakashi handed him the bottle. He drank from it, making a face as it burned his throat a little. It wasn't that bad actually. He kind of liked it.

He began dancing around a bit more, moving more than just his hips. Kakashi was behind him, hands on his sides, dancing with him. Itachi didn't mind it. He was actually having fun.

He was a little dizzy and he couldn't really think straight, but he didn't mind. He liked the way it felt. He liked the way Kakashi felt dancing behind him. He was grinding against Itachi's ass, holding onto his hips. Itachi took another sip from the bottle before pushing his ass back into Kakashi.

"Oh, you wanna play that way, huh?" He spoke into Itachi's ear, his words slurring together slightly.

Itachi looked back at him and smirked.

Kakashi moved one hand around the front and pushed it under Itachi's shirt. He ran his fingertips along Itachi's skin as they moved together to the music.

Itachi was turned on by Kakashi's actions. He was surprised because he usually wasn't affected like this. But the feeling of Kakashi's hands on his skin made him feel amazing. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol just doing its thing, but he wanted more.

He turned himself around, looking up at Kakashi. He was actually very attractive. His hair looked soft and shiny. He was tall and muscular. Itachi had never seen him without his mask, but he was sure he was just as attractive underneath.

"You're staring..." Kakashi spoke. "Do you see something you like?"

Itachi swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. He nodded.

He brushed Itachi's hair out of his face and leaned in close. Itachi could feel his breath on his lips. He reeked of alcohol, but Itachi didn't mind it all that much. He kissed Itachi. Itachi gasped, but he didn't pull away. He leaned into the kiss. Kakashi tasted like sake. He didn't mind it though. It felt nice. 

"I think we should go back to the inn." He breathed. 

Itachi just nodded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long chapter bc fuck it why not


	21. Isolate

It was cold, dark, empty. Shisui was lost. He couldn't tell what was happening. He was trapped. He was trapped inside his mind. His mind was racing. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. He was feeling so many things. He was scared. No, he was angry. He wanted to escape. He wanted it to stop. Was time even passing? How long has he been trapped in the dark? How long has he been imprisoned here? Why are they doing this? Why did it have to be him? Where was Itachi? He should've returned by now. Right? It's been long enough? Hasn't it? Has it been days? Or merely hours? It seems that time doesn't pass. And if it does, it passes incorrectly. Is he going to die here? Will he survive it? He can't feel anything. Is it day? Night? Warm? Cold? He can't tell. He can't feel it. But what really is day? And what really is night? What really is anything at all? What if it's not real? What if it's all a figment of imagination? What if it's all a dream, and this is what life really is? Darkness, pain, fear, hurt, anger? What if he's already dead? What if he was never alive? Is this death? Did he die and not realize? How long has it been? Did anyone even notice? Does anyone care? Surely Itachi would. Right? Does he even know where Shisui is? Has he even returned yet? What time is it? What day is it? Where is he?

Shisui could hear his blood pumping in his ears. His breathing was impossibly fast, his heart racing. His mind was going a mile a minute and he couldn't stop it. There were so many thoughts and so much pain. He was terrified. He couldn't see. He couldn't feel. He couldn't hear. He's never felt terror like this. He couldn't feel it but he knew he was crying.

Why hadn't anyone come yet? Where was Itachi? He missed him. He wanted him back. Itachi was the only one that ever loved him.

No one loved him. No one cared about him. Not until Itachi came along. Before Itachi, he was so depressed and alone. He had no one. Itachi saved him. Itachi doesn't know it, but he stopped Shisui from killing himself. He was so alone and sad and scared, he didn't want to live anymore. And then he found Itachi. And he had a reason to live. He puts on this tough and scary facade, but deep down, he's just like Itachi. He's scared. He just wants to go home. He wants to hold Itachi again. Then all will be right in the world again. He just wants his Itachi.

"Itachi..." He whispered.

He jumped when he heard his own voice in his ears.

"Who's there?"

He heard it again. Whenever he spoke...

"Hello?"

He realized it was himself. He could speak. He could hear his own voice. That meant others could too. If he screamed, surely someone would hear him.

It was the only chance he had at getting free. But was anyone even near him? Or was he completely isolated? He had to try.

"Help!" He screamed. "Let me go! Stop this! Please!"

He only hoped that his voice came out as loud as it sounded to him.

"Let me go!"

The sound of his voice made his head pound.

"Please!" He cried. "Please! I'll do anything!"

He was scared. What if no one helped him?

"I'm begging you! Please! Somebody!"

Shisui screamed until he couldn't scream anymore. Why didn't anyone come? Why was he still here? Was he all alone? Did everyone abandon him?

"Please..." He sobbed. "I-I'll tell you what you want to know! Please! Just let me go!"

It was safe to assume that no one was coming to help him. Why would they? He didn't matter. He wasn't important. Who would want to save him?

He jumped when he heard the sound of a voice. "Well, you broke a lot faster than I thought you would..."

Shisui stayed quiet.

"You'll tell me what I want to know?"

Shisui nodded. "Yes. Anything...please."

He still couldn't see. Everything was still dark.

"How much do you know? It's a simple question, Shisui. Then you're free to go."

"Not much." He whispered. "All I know is that you plan to overthrow the Hokage. That's it. I swear."

"Really? That's it?"

"Yes. I swear."

"And does the Hokage know?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"I told you what you wanted to know. Please...Just let me go." Shisui begged.

He scoffed. "Shut the fuck up. You really are naive, you know that? Did you really think I was going to let you go? Stupid bitch."

Shisui's breath caught in his throat. "What?"

Everything suddenly went silent again.

No. He couldn't do this. Shisui told him what he wanted to know. He said he'd let him go.

This isn't fair.

"You bastard!" He cried. "I told you what you wanted to know!"

He never came back. It stayed silent.

What would happen now? He caved. He told him what he wanted to know, but he was still here.

Shisui was scared. He wanted to go home.

* * *

He slammed Itachi up against the door the moment he closed it, roughly pressing their lips together. He gripped Itachi's ass, lifting him off the ground. Itachi moaned into Kakashi's mouth. He carried Itachi over to the bed and dropped him down. Itachi watched with wide eyes as Kakashi pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. He unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down just a little before climbing on top of Itachi.

He grabbed the hem of Itachi's shirt and pushed it up. He leaned down, sucking deep purple marks into the soft skin of Itachi's stomach. Itachi closed his eyes, letting out small whimpers.

He pushed Itachi's shirt up further, nipping and sucking along the way.

"Take it off." He ordered.

Itachi sat up a little and tugged his shirt off. Kakashi attached his lips to one of Itachi's nipples, using his fingers to play with the other one. Itachi tangled his fingers in Kakashi's hair. Kakashi's mouth felt amazing. He felt like he was on fire. This was so good. It felt so good.

"More." He begged, bucking his hips up against Kakashi's.

Kakashi released him and moved down his body. He pulled Itachi's pants off and flipped him over. Itachi moved so that he was on his hands and knees, looking back at Kakashi.

"Have you done this before?" He breathed, slapping Itachi's ass.

Itachi nodded, waiting for Kakashi to continue. He reached over and opened the bedside drawer. He rummaged around until he found some oil. He poured it on his fingers and pushed one inside of Itachi. He palmed himself through his pants with his free hard, panting softly.

Itachi whimpered and buried his face in the pillow. Kakashi moved his finger in and out of Itachi, quickly adding a second one.

Itachi whined, pushing his ass back into Kakashi's fingers, trying to feel more. "Please..."

He pulled his fingers out and pushed his pants down more, freeing his cock. Itachi's eyes went wide when he saw it. He immediately wanted it inside if him. He shook his ass, trying to get Kaskashi's attention as he stroked himself.

Kakashi poured the oil onto his hand and stroked himself, lining himself up. He pushed inside and Itachi gasped. It felt so good. Kakashi leaned over Itachi's back, reaching forward and wrapping his fingers around Itachi's throat. He moved his hips back and forth. Itachi moaned and cried as Kakashi moved inside of him. He hit Itachi's spot over and over again, forcing louder cries past his lips every time.

He felt like he was floating, like he was on cloud nine. Between the buzz of the alcohol in his system, and the blinding pleasure of the sex, he felt amazing.

"Oh _fuck~"_ Kakashi groaned. His thrusts became slower and deeper.

He flipped them over so that Itachi was sitting on top of him. Itachi immediately gasped, Kakashi's cock pushed impossibly deeper.

"C'mon." He grunted through clenched teeth. "Ride me."

Itachi placed his hands on Kakashi's chest to stabilize himself as he moved up and lowered himself down. This feeling was overwhelming. It felt different. It felt better than before.

Kakashi dug his nails into Itachi's ass cheeks, helping him move up and down. Itachi looked amazing like this, like he belonged there, bouncing on Kakashi's cock. He loved it.

"I-I'm gonna- I can't-" Itachi managed as he released across Kakashi's chest.

As soon as that happened, Kakashi held him all the way down. He held Itachi still as he came inside of him.

He rode out his orgasm before pulling out of Itachi. Itachi collapsed on the bed, panting hard.

"Holy shit." He gasped, looking over at Kakashi.

He just nodded.

Itachi closed his eyes, worn out from the nights events.

He had a feeling he'd actually be able to sleep.


	22. Surrender

Shisui needed to try and think about this. He needed to stop panicking, and think about how to get out of this. He didn't have enough chakra to do much of anything. The way he was bound prevented him from moving much anyway. There had to be a way to alert someone.

He took a deep breath and focused the little chakra he had. He wasn't sure if Itachi was back from his mission yet. He wasn't sure how long he's even been there.

If he could just reach the bird that was with Itachi, he could show Itachi everything that's happened. He didn't want to involve Itachi, but it was his only choice, his only hope of survival. All he had to do was show Itachi everything that the birds have seen. They were still watching, even though Shisui wasn't responding to them. They'd continue to watch everything until Shisui sent them away.   
  
Shisui focused all of his strength on reaching Itachi. He had to reach. 

It took a while, but he finally felt someone. He felt a connection to the bird. He got it. 

Shisui showed the bird everything that's happened since he got here, everything that the birds saw; some of which Shisui hadn't even seen yet. The bird would get it and show it to Itachi. 

He used the last bit of his strength to give the bird a message for Itachi along with everything else. "Itachi, I don't know where you are or what you're doing. I don't know if you're home yet. But I need you to listen to me. I need your help. I didn't want to drag you into this, but you're my only hope of surviving. As you saw, your father is holding me somewhere. I'm not sure where. He's been torturing me for information. I fear that I don't have much longer. I'm using the last of my energy to reach you. This very well might kill me. But wherever you are, Itachi, I need your help. Hurry. Please."

Shisui broke the connection. He could immediately feel himself slipping away. 

It was only seconds later that everything faded away and Shisui hit the floor. 

* * *

Itachi groaned and stretched his arms above his head. He opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around, somewhat confused.

Why was he in Kakashi's bed? And why was he naked? And why was his head pounding?

He looked around the room, spotting Kakashi sitting at the table. 

"Morning."

"Hi." Itachi spoke. He raised an eyebrow. "Uh, d-did we...?

He nodded. "Oh yeah."

"Oh god." Itachi breathed. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Oh god. Why did he do that? Shisui. Shisui told him that no one could touch him, and he let Kakahi touch him. 

Shisui would be angry with him. Shisui wasn't going to love him anymore. 

He'd have to tell Shisui when he got home. He couldn't keep it from him. He couldn't lie. Shisui would immediately know that something was wrong. He'd have to take whatever punishment Shisui would give him. He didn't care. 

Itachi stood up, covering himself as he grabbed his pants off the floor. He pulled them on and walked over to the table where Kakashi was. Kakashi handed him a cup of coffee and a few pills. "Should help with the hangover."

Itachi nodded and accepted them. He took the pills and swallowed them with the coffee. He sat there, sipping the coffee when all of a sudden, his vision went dark. 

In his mind, he suddenly saw his father standing with a masked ninja somewhere in the compound. 

_"You have to find him. He has to die before he finds out any more about our plan."_

_"He's supposedly away on a mission but we'll check his house."_ The ninja spoke. _"I don't know for sure that Shisui is feeding intel to the Hokage. It's just a rumor."_

_"Keep your voice down. He could have eyes on us now. He can't know that we're on to_   
_him. Even if it is just a rumor, investigate him. See what you can find. We can't afford to have our plans exposed when we're this close. If he's there, I want him alive. He could be used as leverage."_

All of a sudden, it flashed to Shisui's house. He was held down on the floor, surrounded by multiple shinobi. He was trying to fight, but he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough.

Things went black again and a scream that was undoubtedly Shisui's filled his mind. He sounded like he was in pain. 

Then they were in a hallway, outside of one of the old, unused interrogation rooms in the basement at the police station. Fugaku was wiping blood off of his hands. _"He's not breaking. I beat him half to death and yet he refuses to talk."_

 _"Damn it."_ The other man swore. _"Is there anything you haven't tried?"_

Fugaku seemed to think for a moment before he looked up with a sinister smile. _"Shisui fears being unable to see."_

_"How do you know?"_

_"Everyone knows. But you're probably too young to remember. He was captured by the enemy when he was a child. They held him for four months. He was blindfolded the entire time as they tortured him, raped him, and forced him to kill. He's terrified of losing his sight because it brings him back to that time."_

The other man nodded. _"Well, hopefully, that gets him talking."_

_"If that doesn't work, there's one last option, but I'd prefer not to have to go there."_

_"What is it?"_

_"Torture Itachi and make him watch. They think it's a secret, but he and Itachi seem to be in a "relationship" of sorts. If nothing else breaks him, that surely will. But I don't necessarily want to do that because I need to use Shisui to get Itachi to help us." He explained, putting air quotes around the word "relationship."_

There was a flash of light and Fugaku was in his office. He was writing something down. It appeared to be late at night.

_"Help! Let me go! Stop this! Please!"_

Shisui's screams could be heard from the basement.

_"Let me go! Please! I'll do anything."_

Fugaku stood up and headed downstairs.

_"I'm begging you! Please! Somebody!"_

He approached the door and pulled out his keys.

_"Please! I'll tell you what you want to know! Let me go!"_

He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Then it went all black again and he heard Shisui's voice around him. _"Itachi, I don't know where you are or what you're doing. I don't know if you're home yet. But I need you to listen to me. I need your help. I didn't want to drag you into this, but you're my only hope of surviving. As you saw, your father is holding me somewhere. I'm not sure where. He's been torturing me for information. I fear that I don't have much longer. I'm using the last of my energy to reach you. This very well might kill me. But wherever you are, Itachi, I need your help. Hurry. Please."_

"-Tachi! Itachi! Wake up!"

Itachi's eyes shot open and he immediately sat up. 

He had to get home. 

"Hey! Are you okay?"

Itachi looked up at Kakashi, then down. How did he get on the floor? "What?"

"Are you okay? You like, collapsed all of a sudden."

Itachi nodded. "I'm fine. I have to get home."

"We can leave in a little while."

"No. I'm leaving now. You can leave with me or catch up. I have to get home."

Kakashi gave him a weird look. "Why do you have to get home?"

"Something's wrong. Something happened." He said quickly.

"How do you know?"

Itachi pointed at the bird as he was stuffing things in his bag. "She showed me. Something's wrong with Shisui and I have to get home."

"I'm sure he's fine, Itachi. We can leave in a little while."

"No!" Itachi snapped. "Something is wrong. I have to get home as fast as I can. You can leave in a little while. I'm leaving now."

"Fine." Kakashi spoke, putting his hands up in defeat. "Go. I'll catch up with you as fast as I can. When you get home, don't worry about reporting our mission, I'll handle it. You just deal with your stuff."

"Thank you." Itachi said, before pushing the door open. He quickly left the inn and went down the road. 

It took them four days to get here at a decent pace, and they stopped along the way. Itachi figured he could get home in a day and a half if he went at his max speed and didn't stop. 

It would be draining, but Itachi had to do it. He had to get to Shisui before something bad happened. He had to save him.


	23. Life or Death

Itachi ran and didn't stop. He didn't slow down, he didn't stop to sleep, he didn't even stop to catch his breath. He ran through the night. He didn't care. He needed to get to Shisui.

He was getting closer to the village. He should be there within the hour. He had to get there as fast as he could. 

The bird flew above him, following him back home. 

He briefly wondered if he should go to the Hokage when he gets there. He didn't know if he should tell the Hokage that he knew about Shisui's mission and that he was in trouble. He decided that wasn't a good idea. Shisui needed help. Itachi didn't have time to go to the Hokage. That could wait until after Shisui was safe. Shisui was more important. 

He didn't know what he'd do when he got there though. It was midday. His father would be there. He recognized where Shisui was. He was in one of the old, no longer used interrogation rooms in the basement of the police station. It would be hard to get past his father, as he'd have to pass his office to get to the basement stairs. He couldn't wait though. If he waited, something else could happen to Shisui during that time. He didn't even know if Shisui was okay. He'd said that he'd used the last of his energy to contact Itachi and that it might kill him. Itachi hoped Shisui was alive. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost Shisui.

He was getting closer to the village. He had to hurry. He was almost there. Just a few hundred more yards. 

Itachi was scared. He was scared of what he'll see when he finds Shisui, scared of what'll happen if he comes in contact with his father, scared of what might happen if he doesn't get to Shisui in time. He didn't actually see Shisui when he saw that stuff. He didn't get to see how bad he was. or what exactly happened to him. He didn't know what to expect. 

He finally reached the gates of the village. He finally slowed down a little. His breathing was heavy as he made his way towards the police station. His legs ached, his head was pounding. But he couldn't stop. Shisui's life depended on it. He kept going, completely ignoring how he felt. 

He eventually made it to the police station. He stopped before going inside. He had no way of knowing if his father was there. He looked up at the bird. "Can you tell me if my father is in there?"

The bird flew in a different direction and came back a few minutes later. It landed on the railing next to the door. Itachi assumed that meant that it was safe to go in. 

He walked up to the door, pushing it open. He looked past the front desk, seeing that his father's office was empty. 

"Hey, dear. Looking for your father?"

Itachi looked over quickly, startled. The secretary at the desk was looking up at him. 

"Oh. Uh, yeah."

"I think he's in his-" She looked over her shoulder at his office. "Oh. I guess he stepped out for a few. You can wait for him if you'd like. When he gets back I'll let him know you're here."

Itachi nodded, walking into his office. He watched her, waiting for her to go back to her work before quietly leaving and walking to the basement stairs. He cautiously walked down the steps, pulling a kunai out. 

He could hear quiet talking coming from down the hall. He could hear his father's voice and one other person. 

"I don't think he's breathing." 

Itachi's eyes went wide. 

"What happened to him?" Fugaku asked.

"Not sure. His body might've just gave out. I blocked his body from regenerating chakra." The other one spoke.

"Hn. Well, wait until nightfall and dump him in the woods, I guess. I got what I needed out of him." 

Itachi quickly ducked into one of the empty rooms, his back to the wall. He struggled to hold back tears. Shisui was dead? 

There's no way he's dead. He had to be alive. Itachi didn't know what he'd do without Shisui. He loved him. He needed him. He was the only thing that kept Itachi sane. 

As soon as he heard the footsteps recede up the steps, he rushed into the room next to him. 

He froze as soon as he entered the room. Shisui laid on the floor on his side, his hands were bound behind his back, and a blindfold was over his eyes. 

Itachi took a few steps over to him, dropping to his knees. 

"Shisui?" He choked. He started to hyperventilate. 

He shook Shisui gently, calling out to him again. 

He pulled the blindfold down and reached to untie Shisui's hands. He noticed that Shisui's left hand was swollen and bruised. It was clearly broken, so he was careful. 

"Shisui...please wake up..." He whispered.

Itachi put his ear to Shisui's chest. He couldn't hear anything. He didn't hear him breathing, and he didn't hear a heartbeat. 

Tears slowly began to fall. He wiped at his eyes, shaking Shisui harder. 

"Please wake up." He begged. "You can't die."

There was still no response. 

Itachi buried his face in Shisui's chest, hugging him. 

"You can't leave me, Shisui. I love you." He sobbed. "Please wake up. You can't be dead."

He couldn't hold back his tears anymore. His body shook as he cried and it took everything in him to hold back the loud sobs that wanted to escape. 

"I came j-just as you asked. The moment I saw everything, I-I ran here. I ran and ran and I didn't stop once. You have to wake up. _Please_." 

Still nothing. He was cold. 

"I-I don't know what to do without you. I can't live without you. I n-need you."

He tried to shake him again. 

He was too late.

He didn't get here fast enough. 

"He's dead, Itachi. Leave him."

Itachi turned quickly, seeing his father standing in the doorway. He didn't even hear him approach. 

Itachi wiped his tears away and got to his feet. He pulled his sword from its sheath and stood over Shisui in a defensive position.

"No." Itachi whispered. "I won't leave him. This is your fault. You did this to him."

"Go home. Leave the boy behind and forget about him." Fugaku spoke. "He got what he deserved."

"I will not leave him and I will not forget about him. And how did he deserve this? What did he do to deserve this? He was trying to protect us all. That's all he was doing. I don't know the details, and I don't know what you're doing, but I do know that if you were able to go through with whatever it is you're planning, all of us would die. You, me, mother, Sasuke...Every single Uchiha in this village would die. And Shisui was trying to prevent that. He did not deserve what you did to him. He didn't deserve to die. He didn't deserve to suffer."

"He did deserve it, Itachi. He was a traitor. He made it very clear that he was loyal to the village when he should have been loyal to his clan. For that, he deserved everything he got and more. That's why he's dead."

"He's not dead. He can't be. I-I just need to get him to a hospital."

"They can't bring back the dead. Leave him."

"No! Father, please. Whatever you're doing has to stop. So many lives are at risk." Itachi begged. "I need to get him to a hospital. Please, just let me take him."

"Fine. You can take him on one condition." His father spoke after a moment of silence. 

"What?"

"Help me." He said simply. "If you agree to help me, I'll allow you to take the boy and walk out the door. I don't really know what can be done for a dead man though."

Itachi thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to help him, but if that's what he had to do in order to have any chance at saving Shisui's life, then he'd do it. 

He closed his eyes and slowly nodded. He swallowed hard before opening his mouth to speak. "Fine. I'll help you."


	24. Heartbeat

Itachi got to his feet quickly as the doctor approached. "Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor sighed. "It's hard to tell. We did everything we could. You got him here just in time. Any later and we wouldn't have been able to do anything for him. His body almost completely shut down. He's barely holding on. I want to tell you he'll pull through but I'm not confident that he will. The chances of him making it through the night are slim at best. And the chances of him waking up at all are even slimmer. If I were you, I'd say goodbye. I'm sorry."

Itachi deadpanned. Shisui wasn't going to make it. He suddenly felt really nauseous. He followed the doctor to the room where Shisui was.

"Something is preventing his body from regenerating chakra." The doctor explained. "Unless we can figure out what it is and fix it, he won't make it."

Itachi remembered hearing whoever was with his father say that they'd done that to him. He had to find out who that was and get him to fix it. He had to save Shisui.

Itachi nodded and sat down beside Shisui. He laid there, completely still. He was hooked up to various machines and was covered in bandages. The doctor left the room. It was only when Itachi knew that he was alone that he let himself break. He cried into Shisui's chest. He couldn't lose Shisui. Shisui was all he had. Shisui was his everything. He was his happiness, his sadness, his fear, his pain, his anger, and his love. He'd give anything to take Shisui's place on this hospital bed. He'd give his life if it meant saving Shisui.

"You came..."

Itachi's head shot up. He stared at Shisui. Shisui was looking back at him, a small smile on his lips. He looked weak, his eyes unfocused. His breathing was heavy as he lifted his hand and placed it on Itachi's head.

"O-Of course I came." He whispered, finally breaking the silence. "I came as soon as I saw it. I ran and I didn't stop. I-I thought you were dead."

He laughed softly. "Do you really think I'd die that easily? No, I just exhausted myself. I'll be okay."

"But the doctor, he said you can't regenerate chakra. He told me you wouldn't make it through the night, let alone wake up."

"I'm stronger than you think, babe. I'll be okay." He spoke. "Come here."

Itachi moved closer to Shisui. Shisui leaned up and pressed a kiss to Itachi's lips.

Itachi wiped at his eyes as he pulled away.

"How did you get me out of there?" Shisui eventually asked.

Itachi swallowed hard. "H-He said I could take you on one condition. And I agreed to it."

"What condition?"

"He said I could only take you if I agreed to help him. So I did."

Shisui's eyes went wide.

"Don't worry though. I'm not going to actually help him. I just said that because I had to get you out of there." He added quickly.

Shisui sighed. "You're playing a dangerous game, Itachi. You're going to get yourself killed."

"I'll be fine. I have to go talk to him."

Shisui just shook his head lightly. "Be careful."

Itachi nodded and stood. He kissed Shisui before exiting the room. He found the doctor a little ways down the hall.

"Ah, Itachi. I was just coming to speak with you. I just received a message for you." He said. "I was told to tell you that the Hokage wishes to speak with you and that you should go to his private residence immediately."

Itachi nodded. "Alright. Thank you...Shisui is awake."

He gave Itachi a confused look. "He woke up?"

Itachi nodded. "He seems okay."

"...I'll go check on him."

Itachi left the hospital and headed in the direction of the Hokage's house. His father would have to wait a little longer. This was more important.

* * *

"You wanted to speak to me?" Itachi asked, jumping off the balcony railing.

"Yes." He spoke, not looking up from what he was reading. "Sit."

Itachi made his way over and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

He finished what he was reading before finally looking up at Itachi. "What happened today?"

Itachi waited a moment before responding. "Um, a lot happened today. Which part are you talking about?"

He sighed. "Itachi, you weren't supposed to be back from the sand village for at least another two days. Then I hear about how you dragged Shisui, near death, into the hospital a few hours ago, throwing a fit, and demanding he gets immediate medical attention. What happened? I want to know everything."

"I was in the sand, yes, and somehow Shisui managed to get a message to me through the bird he left with me. He showed me everything that happened. My father had him taken, and he was torturing him to find out what he knew about his plan, and how much of it he told you. I still don't even know what the plan is. But Shisui showed me all of it through the bird and told me that he was using the last of his energy to reach me and that it may kill him. I immediately left. I told Kakashi that he could leave with me or catch up later. I ran through the night until I got back here.

"I recognized where Shisui was in what he showed me, and I went straight there. When I got there, I heard my father talking to someone. They were saying that it didn't seem like he was breathing and that he'd somehow blocked Shisui's body from regenerating chakra. As soon as they left, I rushed to Shisui. He wasn't breathing and I couldn't hear a heartbeat of anything. I kept trying to wake him up, and I didn't hear my father approach. He told me that Shisui was dead and that I should just leave him. He eventually decided that I could take Shisui on one condition. And I agreed to it because I wanted to save Shisui."

"And what condition was that?"

"He said that he'd allow me to take Shisui if I agreed to help him. But I'm not actually going to help him. I just said that so I could help Shisui."

He sighed. "Christ. Is Shisui going to be okay?"

Itachi nodded. "I think so. The doctor originally told me that his chance of making it through the night was slim, and his chance of waking up at all was even slimmer because he wasn't able to regenerate chakra. But while I was sitting with him, he woke up. He was talking to me and he seemed okay."

He nodded. "Good. Keep an eye on him."

He stood up from his chair.

"How much do you know about Shisui's mission?"

"Not much. I figured out that he wasn't actually sent away the first night. I just went to his house to sleep there because I didn't want to be around my family. I didn't know he was there. He said he couldn't tell me about it and I didn't press. All I know is that my clan is planning something that could result in a lot of death, and Shisui was trying to stop it."

"Your father is planning a coup. He wants to overthrow me." He spoke. He was silent for a moment before continuing. "I need you to finish what Shisui started. But I think we need to take a new approach. The way I had Shisui do it was obviously a bad idea, and I blame myself for whats happened to him. Go help your father. Tell me everything he tells you in whatever way you have to. But whatever you do, _do not_ allow him to catch on to the fact that you're not on his side, or I can guarantee that what happened to Shisui, will happen to you ten times worse."

Itachi nodded. "Alright."

"Go be with Shisui. He's going to need you there. I'll be there tomorrow."

"I have to go speak with my father. He told me to go speak with him after I was done with Shisui."

"So go speak to him. Don't let him know that I spoke to you."

Itachi nodded.

"Go now before he gets suspicious."

Itachi nodded and left the house, heading back towards the police station. His father should still be there. It wasn't too late.

He made it back to the police station and walked inside. Fugaku was the only one there, waiting in his office for Itachi.

Itachi walked in and sat down.

"Is he alive?" His father asked.

"Yes."

"Hn. Unfortunate."

Itachi didn't respond. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be with Shisui.

"I'm sure you've heard from him what's going on."

Itachi shook his head. "No. He hasn't told me anything."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Surprising...Well, I'm not telling you anything until I know I can trust you."

"And how do you know if you can trust me?"

"You're going to do exactly what I tell you to. And if you do it, I know I can trust you."

"What do I have to do?"

"For now, just wait. When I have a task for you, I'll let you know."

Itachi nodded.

"Go."

Itachi stood and walked back out the door. He was going to spend the night at the hospital with Shisui. He didn't want to go home. He was too worried about Shisui.

He didn't know what his father would have him do, but he was pretty worried about it. He had a feeling it would be something he wouldn't want to do. He didn't even know if he wanted to do this at all. He was scared. He couldn't show it though. He couldn't let anyone know that he was afraid to do this.

He went back towards the hospital and into Shisui's room. He was staring out the window and looked over when Itachi entered. He seemed better than he was before.

"Hey..." He whispered. "How'd it go?"

"Well, I had to go speak with the Hokage first and he wants me to finish what you started. He wants me to pretend to help and just tell him what I hear." Itachi spoke. "And my father said that he's not telling me anything until he can prove that he can trust me. He said he's going to have me do something, and when I do it, he'll know that he can trust me."

"What is he going to have you do?"

"I don't know. He said, for now, to just wait and when he has something for me to do, he'll tell me."

He just nodded. "Please be careful, Itachi. I don't want this to happen to you."

"I'll be okay."

Itachi leaned down and hugged Shisui. Shisui kissed the top of Itachi's head. "Thank you."

Itachi just nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." Shisui responded, running his fingers through Itachi's hair.

Itachi started quietly crying into Shisui's chest. Shisui let him cry, knowing that Itachi needed it. He waited until Itachi calmed down a little before speaking.

"What's wrong?"

Itachi sniffed and lifted his head up. He looked up at Shisui. Shisui raised his good hand and wiped Itachi's tears away.

"I'm just scared." He whispered.

"Why? What are you scared of?"

"I-I just- I was scared you were dead and then the doctor told me you wouldn't make it and I'm scared of what my father is going to make me do, and I'm scared of what he'll do to me if he finds out I'm not actually helping him."

"Everything is going to be okay. I promise. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you and you know that."

"A-and I'm scared you're going to be mad at me because I messed up really bad and I don't want you to be mad at me or leave me."

"What did you do? Why would I be mad?"

Itachi started full on sobbing. "On the mission...we- Kakashi- He-...Drinking and then we-"

"Calm yourself down. It can't be that bad." Shisui spoke gently, shifting slightly. He hissed in pain but was okay after a moment.

Itachi tried to calm himself down. After a few minutes of sitting there, taking deep breaths as a Shisui brushed through his hair.

"O-on the mission, when we reached the sand village, um, Kakashi asked me t-to go the bar with him. I-I originally said no. But I-I ended up going and when I was there, I was drinking and I-I guess I drank a lot and when we went back to the inn, I-I- We- I think w-we had sex. And I don't actually remember and I don't want you to be mad but he says we did and I'm scared because you said that no one can touch me and I don't want you to be mad at me and I don't remember what actually happened and I'm sorry. I love you. Please don't leave me. Punish me however you want but please don't leave. I'm sorry, sir."

He sighed and stayed quiet for a while. "We'll talk about this when I get out of here. I need to think."

"Alright. I'm sorry..."

He just nodded.

"Just go to sleep. You need sleep."


End file.
